Behind the Candelabra
Move over Bette Midler and Joan Crawford, the firmament of
kitsch has a new supernova with Michael Douglas’s portrayal of Liberace in
Behind the Candelabra. The HBO film will come out on DVD for those who don’t subscribe
to the premium cable channel. It’s
flashy, sparkly and one might even be tempted to call it fabulous. It could easily stand alone as a
theatrical film as it breaks new ground. It’s no Citizen Kane – this is about
Liberace remember – but as a trashy diversion, it’s a lot of fun – one might
even be tempted to call it fabulous.
What could have easily been an instantly forgettable TV
movie – there have been two previous versions – is now elevated by a quality
director, cast and script. Behind the Candelabra focuses on the relationship between
Las Vegas entertainer Liberace and his boy Friday/lover Scott Thorson with
Michael Douglas and Matt Damon more than adequately filling out the roles.
Michael Douglas can go ahead and make space on his mantel
for an Emmy award for his portrayal of the flashy pianist, at least barring a
new production of the life of Christ starring Meryl Streep. Viewers with little experience with the world
in which Liberace lived his life may be shouting TMI from the earliest scenes,
but such realism is what makes the film exceptional. Both actors have worked with director Steven
Soderbergh before and trust him so their comfort level is obvious in numerous hot tub and
bedroom scenes.
Behind the Candelabra
An excellent supporting cast helps carry this above the
usual banality of TV movies. Debbie Reynolds and Rob Lowe get special
commendations for their respective parts. (Evidently Lowe completed his
transformation into a highly sought-after Beverly Hills plastic surgeon by
borrowing Joan River’s face.)
Scott Thorsen was a man with little direction or ambition in
life, clinging to a couple who were the last in a long line of foster parents
when he got swept up in Liberace’s fast, flashy life, a life of anonymous
sexual encounters and substance abuse. Although Damon plays the is-he-or-isn’t-he
card a little too much – after all he is an A-list actor with much to risk here
– he jumps onto the role with such physical aplomb I might wonder just how
close his working relationship was with Ben Affleck.
But the film belongs to Douglas who portrays Liberace so
well he probably brings a little more humanity to the character than existed in
real life. This is the kind of movie that in past generations, fans would
gather at theaters at midnight to watch. Sadly, those days are pretty much
gone. As our patron director was no
stranger to the world of camp or kitsch I’ll give Behind the Candelabra three
Wilders out of four.
This week’s
Overlooked Film of Significance: I was lucky enough to find The Loved One
available On Demand. This satirical look at the lives of British theater people
who have made their home in Hollywood is as fresh now as it was in 1965. It’s on
obscure film with lots of bite which is why you don’t hear about it too often. As
part of an ensemble cast, Liberace makes a rare film appearance as a funeral
home salesman demonstrating his ability to perform a dry comedic role as well
as any Brit.
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