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Behind the Candelabra
| Released |
7 June 2013 |
| Director |
Steven Soderbergh |
Starring
|
Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, Rob Lowe, Dan Aykroyd, Debbie Reynolds, Scott Bakula |
| Writer(s) |
Richard Lagravenese |
| Producer(s) |
Jerry Weintraub |
| Origin |
United States |
| Running Time |
118 minutes |
| Genre |
Biography, drama |
| Rating |
16 |
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Soderbergh's swan song.
Director Steven Soderbergh's homage to Wladziu "Lee" Liberace is a fitting end to an illustrious award-winning film career. From Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989) to Erin Brockovich (2000), Traffic (2000) and this year's sophisticated psychological thriller Side Effects, Soderbergh is now content to put away the camera and concentrate on the canvas. Initially the idea of a biopic based on the memoirs of Liberace's young lover Scott Thorson was mooted as long as ten years ago but various other commitments kept the project at bay. When Douglas got the all-clear after his battle with cancer and with Damon between films, the time was ripe for Soderbergh to take the story to the big screen. Beautiful, funny, poignant and sad, Behind the Candelabra is a touching portrait of a celebrated performer and his homosexual relationship with his "chauffeur" Scott.
"Lee" (Michael Douglas) first met the seventeen year old animal-lover Scott (Matt Damon) when he came to see his show in Vegas. Enamoured by his sweet nature and touched by his foster-home history Lee hired Scott to be his personal companion, chauffeur and ultimately his lover. Lest anyone think Soderbergh took the opportunity to ridicule Liberace's much scoffed at brash wealth, winking pomp and gilt-edged mirrors this film is much more of an ode to the love shared by two men, unable to marry, unable to openly display their relationship. Sure Lee's wealth is a big part of the movie-the endless champagne, the surgery, the jewels and minks are as much a character as Lee or Scott is. It is omnipresent but never once does it belittle the central storyline.
Douglas is a revelation as the camp, caring and ultimately troubled superstar. It's surprising that after a long career playing the macho guy he has found his niche playing an ageing, gay entertainer. His stubbornness, his pure dominance is offset nicely by Damon's gentle-natured Scott. Neither actor shies away from the graphic sex scenes and this is good because it is not gratuitous but absolutely necessary to the telling of Scott and Lee's tumultuous relationship. Behind the Candelabra is beautiful-not surprising given that Soderbergh was also director of photography on set-it's all hazy palm trees, silk counterpanes and Ionic columns. Despite this movie being an apotheosis of Soderbergh's much lauded career, every major studio baulked at backing a movie about homosexual love at a time when gay rights are such a contentious issue. It took cable powerhouse HBO to back this gilded lily yet it is still only on limited release across Europe and can only be seen on TV in the States.
- Louisa McElwee |
