Synopsis
Too much of a good thing is wonderful.
Based on the autobiographical novel, the tempestuous 6-year relationship between Liberace and his (much younger) lover, Scott Thorson, is recounted.
2013 Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Based on the autobiographical novel, the tempestuous 6-year relationship between Liberace and his (much younger) lover, Scott Thorson, is recounted.
Michael Douglas Matt Damon Dan Aykroyd Scott Bakula Rob Lowe Tom Papa Paul Reiser Bruce Ramsay Nicky Katt Cheyenne Jackson Mike O'Malley David Koechner Boyd Holbrook Debbie Reynolds Eric Zuckerman Eddie Jemison Randy Lowell Tom Roach Shamus Cooley John Smutny Jane Morris Garrett M. Brown Pat Asanti Casey Kramer James Kulick Paul Witten Deborah Lacey Susan Caroll Todd Austin Stowell Show All…
Ma vie avec Liberace, 烛台之后, Wielki Liberace, Detrás del candelabro, Dietro i candelabri, 쇼를 사랑한 남자, Por Detrás do Candelabro, Liberace - Zu viel des Guten ist wundervoll, 烛台背后, Túl a csillogáson, Şamdanın Ardında, Liberace, Liberace!, Зад свещника: Моят живот с Либерачи, Mitt liv med Liberace, За канделябрами, Mit liv med Liberace, חיי עם ליברצ'ה, Minha Vida com Liberace, My Life with Liberace, Moje življenje z Liberacejem, Viața mea cu Liberace, შანდლების უკან, 恋するリベラーチェ, Aiz svečturiem
"they don't have any idea that he's gay."
appropriately rich but disappointingly standard. douglas & damon slay their roles (everyone here does, really), but the pathos is limited by fixed rails.
curious as to why the final title card is so vague. "scott lives in reno, nevada." yeah, in jail.
The last ten years in the life of flamboyant pianist Liberace (Michael Douglas) are seen through the eyes of Scott Thorson (Matt Damon), his assistant and lover, in Steven Soderbergh’s biographical drama co-starring Dan Ackroyd, Scott Bakula, Debbie Reynolds and Rob Lowe.
The film is a fascinating look underneath the glamorous sheen of celebrity and into the more complicated reality underneath, exploring the highs and lows of its characters in an empathetic and even-handed way. Douglas is fantastic, embodying the larger-than-life Liberace in a way that manages to avoid caricature. He really manages to find the inner vulnerability and loneliness of the outwardly extroverted entertainer, whilst also getting across the charm that drew others in, making him sympathetic despite some…
An outlandish and yet often sincere biopic about two of the most insincere and broken individuals portrayed in any biopic. In many ways, the rawness and straightforward nature with how everything was shown in here for some reason reminded me to what many were hoping for to see in Bohemian Rhapsody movie, though something tells me Freddie wasn't going around adopting his male escorts. And speaking of male prostitutes I loved how this movie wants me to believe everyone thought Liberace wasn't gay. I mean, c'mon, people aren't that stupid and ignorant... right?
Many of the reasons why I was so invested into this movie was thanks to the great performances by Damon and Douglas. They both killed it and…
Soderbergh does Fassbinder, essentially.
Jonathan Rosenbaum on Fox and His Friends: "At one point the camera is even stationed on a floor a moment before the hapless hero slips and falls, in sadistic anticipation of his mishap. As with much of Fassbinder's work, his cruelty complicates rather than negates his mordant, on-target social analysis." That's pretty much this movie in a nutshell.
It's surreal to watch Basic Instinct and this back to back, and see Michael Douglas playing the straightest and gayest men in the world equally well, and seeing him and Matt Damon making out passionately certainly is more than enough for me to remember this movie for a long while.
Documenting the messy love life of the famed gay pianist Liberace, Behind the Candelabra depicts both the manipulation of someone with power, as well as the queer context of that era. Aided by superbly convincing performances by two straight acting giants, this is both entertaining and saddening watching a victim of homophobia and a controlling parent chasing and then ruining young men. I do enjoy the mocking nature of its more comedic segments, and my only critique is its TV-movie touch.
No studio wanted to produce this. Director Steven Soderbergh first mentioned the project idea to Michael Douglas during the filming of Traffic in 2000, but the powers of cinemadom judged the story "too gay to be commercial," so it languished in need of backing till HBO finally took a gamble on it as a made-for-TV movie. Two Golden Globes and eleven Primetime Emmy Awards later, Soderbergh's vision is complete, and the tale of the last decade in the life of the world's most extravagant piano-playing showman has been told, masterfully.
When I first heard Douglas was going to play Liberace, I thought to myself, "No way! The guy who made it with Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct? The guy who's…
"I can't believe you're still Catholic" -Scott,
-Soderbergh Ranked: boxd.it/axqbw
Liberace was gay?!
Behind the Candelabra is an outstanding biopic about the unseen part of Liberace's life. The story is consistently engaging and funny and sad and interesting and I really enjoyed it... more than I thought I would. The real winners here are Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. Specifically, I don't know if I ever fully respected Douglas' career until seeing him do something different and interesting like this.
Great stuff!
The film deemed to gay for Hollywood even after the much loved Brokeback Mountain is a great picture, and will continue to show my pleas to Steven Soderbergh to not give up on Cinema so we don’t lose one of the most entertaining and unique eyes in film. Though his contributions to T.V. will be something everyone should be excited for.
Behind the Candelabra the story of Pianist Liberace played terrifically by Michael Douglas and his relationship with a much younger man Scott Thorson played by Matt Damon. A film I was expecting to be way over the top and become a camp act much like Liberace’s real life stage show. But this is a warts and all story of…
despite all the signs, this is not a ryan murphy production. thank god for that!
this steven soderbergh guy sure knows how to direct god-tier performances