"Beyond The Sea" is a biopic about 1950s swinging smoothie Bobby Darin, the man behind the perennial hits "Dream Lover", "Splish Splash" and, of course, "Beyond The Sea". However, right from the start, the film makes it clear that this is to be no factual, blow by blow account of Darin's life. "Memories are moonbeams," Spacey explains with a knowing wink, "they're ours to do what we like with." And Spacey certainly weaves a charming fantasy around Darin's life story. Taking the same approach as "Finding Neverland" director Marc Forster, he clearly believes that the best way to tell an emotional truth is through fantastic fiction.
As if to underline this point, Spacey's film about Darin's life opens on the set of a film Darin himself is making about his own life ("Aren't you a bit old for the part?" a journalist asks, voicing the concerns of the entire audience. "Well, yes, but we'll let that pass for now.") Unsure how to approach the project, he turns to the child actor who is to play him as a small boy. Except that this is no ordinary child: the small boy is Darin's younger self, and together the pair embark on a colourful, charming and touching journey through the singer's life.
It's a cute conceit and works well, adding a sense of shape and cohesion to a film that could otherwise have seemed a bit disjointed. The result? An old fashioned song and dance movie in the style of "A Star Is Born" held together by a postmodern, self-conscious structure that allows Spacey to set himself free from the constraints of realism and wallow unashamedly in nostalgic musical numbers.
Like "Don Juan DeMarco" or "Big Fish's" Edward Bloom, Darin tells the truth about his life through fantasy. And so we're treated to wonderful sequences involving 1940s guys and dolls dancing through the streets of the Bronx "Oliver" style to illustrate the young Bobby's growing love of music and performance, or chic 1950s society types waltzing round Italian fountains to illustrate his courtship of film star Sandra Dee.
In the end, of course, Spacey could have said anything about Darin and most of us would have been none the wiser. How much do you know about him? I knew he sang "Beyond The Sea" and, well, that's about it, really. I certainly didn't know he was married to Sandra Dee (of "Look at me, I'm..." fame), that he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, or that he was a great supporter of JFK and turned to writing protest songs during the Vietnam war.
It has to be said, Darin is not obvious biopic material. Generally these kind of movies deal with the rise and fall of their central protagonists (think "The People vs Larry Flynt", "Blow" or the aformentioned "A Star Is Born") but Darin never really does fall - or not that far anyway. Sure, he loses his hair, grows a nasty 'tache and gets booed off stage at one point, but he never undergoes a drink-sozzled, drug-addled, peanut butter and bacon sandwich dead on the toilet seat situation. However, Spacey's performance is so compelling, so energetic and credible (especially in the latter stages of the film) that the interest is held throughout.
This is clearly a labour of love for Spacey, and he throws himself heart and soul into the role, performing all the vocals himself and displaying some pretty nifty footwork, too. Although, it does take rather more of a leap of faith than we can muster ten minutes into the film to see the forty-odd Spacey as a naive youth of twenty, he really comes into his own as the older Darin, struggling to make sense of the events of his life and work out who he really is as his health deteriorates.
Spacey has assembled a good, solid cast around him. Kate Bosworth is perfect as the naive and ever so slightly vacuous Sandra Dee, whilst Greta Scacchi almost steals the show as her nightmare showbiz mom. And it's good to see stalwart performers John Goodman and Bob Hoskins back on the silver screen. All in all, the pefect movie for a "Saturday Night At The Movies" get-together: fun and frothy, moving, entertaining and uplifting, it'll send you out of the cinema singing!
But before we get to the main feature, let's enjoy...
The Pre-Show:
Next up, a talented artist, and a great performer, obviously my very personal and humble opinion, in seeing through the very polifacetic and world famous artist: Robbie Williams a present, nowadays Bobby Darin. To, somehow confirm this, we get the opportunity to watch Mr. Williams in action at the London Palladium in 2013. Last but not least, a short video where we get an Elvis-Bobby connection. Hope you enjoy the Pre-show!
The Main Feature:
Title: Beyond The Sea (2004)
Director: Kevin Spacey
Cast: Kevin Spacey / Kate Bosworth / Bob Hoskins / John Goodman
Release Date: December 17th 2004
Country: United States
On Your Way Out
And as you well know by now, you'll never leave the room with empty hands. Feel free to take and enjoy the "extra goodies", which serve as a reminder of today's evening at "Saturday Night At The Movies", down here at "Shade's Vintage Radio".
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