One of America's greatest performers, Bobby Darin lived a rags-to-riches life. He worked his way from shady nightclubs to his dream destination, The Copacabana, where he wowed crowds with "Splish Splash," "Mack the Knife" and other hits. He was a marvel at singing, songwriting and performing - stealing the hearts of fans everywhere despite the suffering in his own hear.
The chameleon-like actor Kevin Spacey is best known for playing pyschopaths (in Seven and The Usual Suspects) and capturing a creepy mid-life crisis in American Beauty--but surprisingly, playing crooner Bobby Darin, Spacey does some snappy dancing and top-notch singing. Beyond the Sea puts Darin's life through a bit of a kaleidoscope: While singing Darin's most memorable hit, "Mack the Knife," Darin suddenly stops the show, revealing that he's not at a nightclub, but in the middle of a shooting a scene about his life as a nightclub performer. Why has he stopped? Because he's just seen himself as a young boy, peering from behind a curtain. Such self-conscious narrative twists recur throughout the movie, turning Darin's fight for fame and respect into a love story between his adult and childhood selves. Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!), a hugely popular movie star in her own right, was supposedly the love of Darin's life, but she never holds his attention as does his childhood self (played by newcomer William Ullrich). It's a striking metaphor for the narcissism that drives such success-hungry entertainers. But despite (or perhaps because of) the complexity of the telling, the events never grip your emotions; though Darin's life featured hits galore and a few soap opera twists, his story lacks the seductive charm of his nighclub show. Also featuring Bob Hoskins, John Goodman, Brenda Blethyn, and Greta Scacchi. --Bret Fetzer
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Beyond the Sea:
Movie arrived in great condition. I enjoyed the movie VERY much. It took me back to a time that was great in my life!!
enjoyable:
The movie was enjoyable. However, I wish I had known it had Spanish sub-titles before I bought it as a gift for my mother.
Kevin should've gone in for musical theatre, his voice isn't bad:
and his dancing is good enough for a stage production. I thought Bobby Darin was an ok singer, it used to be called crooning, as was Frank, Dean and Sammy. And they all had similiar backgrounds. I didn't think his life was special enough to make a movie out of, and does any one remember who he was? Which was probably another reason this picture tanked. It's always hard to make a semi-biographic movie about a celebrity who rose above many hardships to have a successful showbiz career.
When it works... more info
Spacey just too old.:
Okay movie, very good music, very good singing by Spacey. The big question for the viewer, though, is the obvious one: Can you accept the middle-aged Spacey playing the young Darin? I could not. The age problem was particularly jarring in scenes between Spacey and Kate Bosworth.
