Review of Beyond the Sea (2004) by Brody M — 24 Mar 2011
A vanity project? Well, yes but unlike most vanity projects (think John Wayne's The Alamo) this one doesn't entirely sink. Many pegged Oscar winner Kevin Spacey as not being good enough to fill the shoes of singer Bobby Darin, who died of a heart condition in 1973 at the age of thirty-seven.
Kevin Spacey directs, co-writes and acts in this bio-pic of the late singer. Spacey stars as Darin himself, and does his own singing. Pretty ballsy, put he pulls it off. Spacey uses the plot device of Darin looking back on his life as a street kind in the Bronx, making records, performing in nightclubs and his marriage to teen idol Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth in her best role).
This allows for Spacey to just play the part as he is, without digital tricks. Unfortunately there are a myriad of bio-pic cliches that get in the way, but there's no denying the wonderful rapport Spacey has with his subject.
As previously mentioned Spacey does his own singing, and does it marvelously, making Beyond The Sea a fitting tribute to both his and Darin's talent.
This review of Beyond the Sea (2004) was written by Brody M on 24 Mar 2011.
Beyond the Sea has generally received positive reviews.
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