Running time: 121 minutes
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, John Goodman, Bob Hoskins, Brenda Blethyn, Caroline Aaron
Rating 3 out of 10
It hasn't been one of Kevin Spacey's better years. It began with him being reportedly attacked while walking his dog in a London park. That was followed with the almost universal panning of his production of Cloaca, his first as the artistic director of the Old Vic. And now there's Beyond The Sea. The biopic of singer Bobby Darin has Spacey assuming the title role and directorial duties so it's not as though he has anyone else to blame. The woeful writing hasn't done him any favours though.
In the right role, Spacey is a truly brilliant actor. Unfortunately his portrayal of the ill-fated crooner isn't one of them. It's not as though he can't sing. He proves it here. It's the obvious pleasure he takes in playing a lounge singer that probably lured him to the job. But in the way karaoke is primarily for the enjoyment of the performer, watching Spacey working his way through Darin's material is less fun for the audience than it clearly is for Spacey.
Released at the same time as Ray, Beyond The Sea - taken from the title of one of Darin's biggest hits - is bound to draw comparisons with the far superior biopic of soul singer Ray Charles. One advantage Ray has is the music. With the best will in the world, Splish Splash is not exactly on a par with I Gotta Woman. With the music being such a major element, only true Darin fans will be excited at the prospect of two hours of the stuff. The second, and perhaps even greater advantage is the performances of the two leading actors. Where Foxx looks, sounds and becomes Ray Charles, Spacey never appears as anything other than an imposter, and an unpersuasive one at that.
Spacey's sexual persuasion aside, his scenes with Kate Bosworth as Darin's wife Sandra Dee are as uncomfortable to watch as they are unconvincing. Added to which the actor looks too old to play the teen idol. The caked on make-up only makes matters worse.
The success of a film about a real person can be measured in different ways, though the best barometer is if it conveys a thorough understanding of who they are. On those terms Beyond The Sea fails. It covers in a clunky and uninspired way the critical themes of Darin's life: his poor health, his obsession with a premature death, the surprising revelation of his parenthood, his turbulent marriage and the highs and lows of his career. But because so much time is set aside for Spacey to indulge himself in the musical numbers, the film never satisfactorily explores Darin's propelling demons.
Doing their best to inject some levity and credibility are the strong supporting cast, but their influence is too negligible to salvage things. Beyond The Sea? Beyond the pale, more like. Beyond the sea is where Spacey might want to go if his year gets any worse.
In the right role, Spacey is a truly brilliant actor. Unfortunately his portrayal of the ill-fated crooner isn't one of them. It's not as though he can't sing. He proves it here. It's the obvious pleasure he takes in playing a lounge singer that probably lured him to the job. But in the way karaoke is primarily for the enjoyment of the performer, watching Spacey working his way through Darin's material is less fun for the audience than it clearly is for Spacey.
Released at the same time as Ray, Beyond The Sea - taken from the title of one of Darin's biggest hits - is bound to draw comparisons with the far superior biopic of soul singer Ray Charles. One advantage Ray has is the music. With the best will in the world, Splish Splash is not exactly on a par with I Gotta Woman. With the music being such a major element, only true Darin fans will be excited at the prospect of two hours of the stuff. The second, and perhaps even greater advantage is the performances of the two leading actors. Where Foxx looks, sounds and becomes Ray Charles, Spacey never appears as anything other than an imposter, and an unpersuasive one at that.
Spacey's sexual persuasion aside, his scenes with Kate Bosworth as Darin's wife Sandra Dee are as uncomfortable to watch as they are unconvincing. Added to which the actor looks too old to play the teen idol. The caked on make-up only makes matters worse.
The success of a film about a real person can be measured in different ways, though the best barometer is if it conveys a thorough understanding of who they are. On those terms Beyond The Sea fails. It covers in a clunky and uninspired way the critical themes of Darin's life: his poor health, his obsession with a premature death, the surprising revelation of his parenthood, his turbulent marriage and the highs and lows of his career. But because so much time is set aside for Spacey to indulge himself in the musical numbers, the film never satisfactorily explores Darin's propelling demons.
Doing their best to inject some levity and credibility are the strong supporting cast, but their influence is too negligible to salvage things. Beyond The Sea? Beyond the pale, more like. Beyond the sea is where Spacey might want to go if his year gets any worse.
