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BEYOND THE SEA Send This Review to a Friend
Kevin Spacey startles by showing how well he can sing in his portrayal of Bobby Darin in “Beyond the Sea,” one of this year’s biopics. Spacey also directs, and while the film has its too precious moments, the star performance is dynamic enough to make the enterprise worthwhile. This is Spacey’s show, and while he is ostensibly too old to play Darin, who died at 37, he is such a good actor that he manages surmount the obstacles and bring the magnetism of the singer alive.
With a screenplay by Spacey and Lewis Colic, the film has a broad sweep in covering the short but pumped up life of Darin, whose rheumatic fever in childhood plagued him with health problems and contributed to his early death. There is concentration on the family aspects of Darin’s life, sometimes to the point of being akin to soap opera, although strong acting compensates. Brenda Blethyn is excellent as the woman Darin knows as his mother, Caroline Aaron is moving as the woman Darin knows as his older sister, but the film holds a surprise.
Darin’s relationship with actress Sandra Dee is delved into, with Kate Bosworth playing Dee, and the film captures the chasm between Darin’s ability and the lighter weight Dee, dramatizing the conflicts that arose between them in the glare of publicity. The film is relentless in depicting Darin as a man in a hurry, jumping to different musical styles and chasing stardom.
Spacey captures it all with tremendous energy, both in his acting and direction. His singing is terrific, and we get a sense of the showmanship that went with Darin’s appeal.
Musically, “Beyond the Sea” is an entertainment in itself. While the drama can get over the top, the re-creation of Darin as the artist he was makes the film intriguing on that score alone. A Lions Gate Films release.
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