Dvd
Beyond The Sea
A sickly boy, Walden Robert Cassotto (Ullrich) is told he'll never see his 15th birthday, sparking a quest for immortality that sees him become 'Bobby Darin' (Spacey): a chart-topping act with rock'n'roll ditty 'Splish Splash'. Not content with teen idol status, however, he turns to acting and meets screen darling Sandra Dee (Bosworth).
She becomes his long-suffering wife, watching her own star plummet as Darin soars with an album of big band standards and even bags an Oscar nod. Nonetheless he remains unsatisfied, and his relentless ambition becomes the cause of old health problems resurfacing. [BBC]
Starring Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, John Goodman, Bob Hoskins, Brenda Blethyn, Greta Scacchi
Directed by Kevin Spacey (Albino Alligator)
Written by Lewis Colick, Kevin Spacey
Festivals & Awards 2005 Golden Globe Nomination for Best Actor (Spacey)
Drama, Music, Musical, Biography | 1hr 58mins | Rated (M) | contains low level offensive language | Origin: USA, Germany, UK | Official Site »
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Flicks review
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When I told people I was going to the Bobby Darin biopic, I got blank looks all round. And frankly, I had to do a bit of a Google before I could sneer at them for their lack of pop culture retention. Bobby Darin is of course the creator of “Splish Splash”, who then morphed into a lounge singer, trotting out all the greats.
3
Beyond the Sea is not strictly speaking a Bobby Darin biopic though. It’s a Kevin Spacey vehicle, and serves as an amazing showcase for this talented actor. He’s all singing, all dancing, all balding- and the whole thing is rather surreal. He takes an odd approach to the story. We first encounter Darin making his own biopic, and meeting the child ‘actor’ playing himself. Through a series of Fame- like chorus dances, we see the sickly child’s progression to pop stardom, and his quest to become a serious entertainer.
So it’s not the world’s most novel story, but it is told in a novel fashion. And Kevin Spacey is fantastic- almost predictably so. As the writer/producer/director of the whole thing, he’s essentially a one-man band. Which is unfortunately emphasized by a dull supporting cast. Kate Bosworth is lackluster as Sandra Dee- and painfully in need of a sandwich. The rest are much of a muchness with the exception of John Goodman and Greta Scachi, who by rights should be a huge star. And Bob Hoskins puts in a good turn too, playing Darin’s confidante.
If you like Bobby Darin (and who are you people?) or love Kevin Spacey check it out. Otherwise, you may come out with the same feeling we did- it’s okay, but why this particular story? Surely there’s a wealth of b-grade actors who would benefit from this star treatment…
By Beatrix Coles.SHARE:
The people's reviews
6 reviews
Press Reviews
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BBC
3
Besides energetic song-and-dance numbers, Darin's exchanges with his younger self (an endearing Ullrich) are surprisingly poignant. Likewise Spacey treats the darker aspects of Darin's life with sensitivity, thankfully avoiding a descent into melodrama. It occasionally drifts off course, but for the most part Beyond The Sea is a buoyant tribute...
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Empire Magazine [UK]
3
Ambitious and unexpected, with stylish musical numbers and a sympathetic performance from Spacey...
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Entertainment Weekly [USA]
2
Weirdly moving...
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FilmThreat.com [USA]
1
Such a hopeless mess that there's no fun in tossing insults at its endless shortcomings...
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Hollywood Reporter
Kevin Spacey, both as star and director, has created a hugely entertaining, highly empathetic portrait of a man for whom music was literally the thing that kept him alive...
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LA Times
Put simply, the film is a dazzling and fearless piece of showmanship...
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Rolling Stone [USA]
3
Doing his own singing (an uncanny imitation), Spacey is a marvel...
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