Wladziu Valentino Liberace, an American pianist and singer, was the world's most paid entertainer from the 1950s to the 1970s (selected in the Guinness Book of Records). On the stage, he was the originator of the quirky style of gorgeous school, which inspired the later Elton John (also gay), Madonna, Lady Gaga, etc.; off the stage, he lived a luxurious and secret life, and his sexual orientation alone made the public guess. After decades of guessing, there is no conclusion in the end. This film is adapted from the autobiography "Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace" by his driver and lover, Scott Thorson, 40 years younger than him. Candelabra here means that Liberace loves to put a candlestick on the piano during performances, which is the best interpretation of its exaggerated stage style; so "behind the candlestick" is the unknown side under the glamorous appearance, even if it is Scott's side. Words, but it is also an interpretation.
Celebrity privacy and same-sex themes are the two most intuitive selling points of this film. There is no problem with the former. Since the crew members who have spent a week with Monroe can make the experience into a movie ("My Week With Marilyn" a year ago), then the lover who has been with Liberace for 5 years will certainly do my part. But the latter is a trouble. A large number of male intimacy shots discouraged the six major Hollywood movie giants. Fortunately, HBO took charge of the distribution (of course, HBO also belongs to Warner), but it can only be broadcast on the cable TV network. To be honest, there is nothing new in the plot. When seeing the appearance and meeting of two people, the subsequent development and ending I believe most of the audience guessed it. However, they are adapted from real people and real events, and it is not convenient for them to be too demanding. Therefore, the important task of embodying the quality of the film fell on the director’s portrayal of emotional drama. In my impression, this is not Soderbergh’s strong point, and the feeling of this film is indeed that he has recorded the running account with his skill and sharp cutting. Always free from the character's heart. In other words, he pays too much attention to narrative "events", but does not pay enough attention to subtle "emotions". In addition, perhaps to be faithful to the original, the time allocation of this film is not reasonable: the beginning is simple and clear, and Scott's life experience is quickly explained. He and Liberace met in the 10th minute; the next 10 minutes is a hookup, Scott Admiring Liberace’s talents and achievements, Liberace values Scott’s youth and character, so a complex sentiment between his lover, father and son, and friends arises between the two; then there is a 40-minute honeymoon period, which is a bit long. In my opinion, the plastic surgery period can be shorter, and the mother can not show up; drug abuse and affair are the direct cause of the rift between the two (the underlying cause is the inequality of the relationship between the two), but Liberace turned his face and refused to recognize the person after a big fight in the bathroom. It’s a little sudden; the final court can also be shorter. For example, I don’t understand the meaning of the coat Liberace gave me. It’s necessary to talk to each other when he is dead. It is mentioned that the investigation of the cause of death was related to the character Liberace. Explain; and the performance in Scott's fantasy at the end-Liberace fondly recites the poem to him and rises to heaven-is the biggest highlight of the film.
When the film was broadcast, it set a record for HBO's television and movie ratings in the past ten years, and it made a splash at the Emmy Awards that year, with 11 nominations for 15 nominations. Knowing the fate, Soderbergh won the best director as he wished before closing the mountain. He said that he would specialize in painting next, but he did not say anything to death, and he did not rule out the possibility of returning to the world someday. The stunning performance of the two MDs in this film can be said to raise the film to a new level. Michael Douglas dedicated a actor-level performance, the stage is glamorous and charming, and the narcissistic and self-pity on the outside and the inside of the audience; don't forget, he is a few years older than the real Liberace in the film. Since the film was not screened in North American theaters, it is a pity that he could not nominate an Oscar; but he also won ("Wall Street") anyway. Matt Damon’s brilliance is relatively concealed, and there is no chance of winning the best actor on the same field as Douglas; but he has to admit that he played the role of a teenager as a 42-year-old "old age", and it is not easy to act like this (of course, make-up It's also awesome, no wonder I won an Emmy Award). In addition, Rob Lowe, who plays the squint cosmetician, also nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globe Awards. His stiff face was made with the old-fashioned make-up method of "tightening the skin with tape on the head".
This film is the posthumous work of Marvin Hamlisch. Marvin is the only person in history who has won Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, Tony, Golden Globes, and Pulitzer Prizes. He is the only musician to win three Oscars in one night (1973). How is this? A kind of state of mind. The subtitles of the film dedicate the film to him at the end.
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