118mins
Genre: Biography/comedy
USA
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writers : Richard LaGravenese (Screenplay) Scott Thorson and Alex Thorleifson (book)
Cast: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula and Michael Douglas.
Plot
Campy Film
based on Thorson’s memoir about his tempestuous 5 year affair with pianist Liberace.
Review
A deeply
black comedy about loneliness, unhappiness and denial, Douglas is fantastic as
the strangely reptilian Liberace who is a brilliant genius when it comes
to playing the piano and doesn’t need to rehearse. He’s also a brilliant genius
at picking up young men in an age when being a homosexual was kept well hidden,
behind closed doors. When Scott first
sees Liberace he comments ‘’It’s funny this crowd would like something this gay’’
about the audience older ladies watching the master pianist, someone replies ‘’Oh,
they have no idea he’s gay.’’ Liberace
is both putting his homosexuality on display as part of his lavish performances
and denying it to the papers.
Damon is
perfect as the as Scott like a huge buff angel with no wings who embarks on the
ill fated co-dependent relationship with Liberace. The latter is intent on
molding the young man into a younger version of himself using plastic surgery
and diet pills. Rob Lowe, who is still impossibly perfect looking is fantastically
well cast as the plastic surgeon (in the 80’s he was labeled the Farrah Fawcett
of men due to his chiseled beauty…)
Eventually
their affair disintegrates and Liberace finds another assistant and Scott is
left out in the cold contemplating legal in typical Hollywood style.
The film
was in competition in Cannes but was made by American television network HBO
and was shown on American television but gets a cinema release in the UK.
Great film,
super kitsch with great performances.
5 out of 5 stars.
