Behind the Candelabra

2013 Directed by Steven Soderbergh

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.

Michael Douglas Matt Damon Rob Lowe Dan Aykroyd Scott Bakula Debbie Reynolds Cheyenne Jackson Paul Reiser Boyd Holbrook Nicky Katt Eddie Jemison Mike O'Malley Josh Meyers David Koechner Krystal Ellsworth Lisa Frantz Austin Stowell Eric Zuckerman Randy Lowell Tom Roach Shamus Cooley John Smutny Jane Morris Garrett M. Brown Pat Asanti Casey Kramer Tom Papa James Kulick Bruce Ramsay Show All…

Alternative Titles

烛台之后, Wielki Liberace, Detrás del candelabro, Ma vie avec Liberace, Dietro i candelabri, 쇼를 사랑한 남자, Por Detrás do Candelabro, Liberace - Zu viel des Guten ist wundervoll

drama romance

118 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Hollie Horror ★★★½ 10

In this episode of Quantum Leap Dr. Sam Beckett leaps into the life of Bob Black, a procurer of young men for Liberace.
Review by Rafael Jovine ★★★★ 7

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…
Review by Adam Cook ★★★½ 11

If Steven Soderbergh really has retired from making feature films he leaves on a high, first with the twisty pharmaceutical thriller, Side Effects, and now with this made-for-TV Liberace biopic. It’s quite a double-punch swansong that demonstrates his versatility and ability to coax great performances out of his actors. Based on Scott Thorston’s account of his six-year relationship with famed pianist, Liberace, Behind the Candelabra, reveals the not-so hidden life of one of the world’s most flamboyant performers.
Although it is a shame Soderbergh had to turn to the more adventurous HBO to finally get his long in gestation biopic made (it is hard to know quite what the studios were so worried about) little appears lost in the transition…
Review by davidehrlich ★★★½ 1

"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.
Review by I.V. ★★★★

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.
Review by Paul Robinson ★★★★ 5

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…
Review by Danzel Vaughn ★★★½ 2

the story is sort of boilerplate and while it feels honest it’s just honestly not all that exciting to watch. soderbergh feels restrained and damon, while great, just feels like damon with a little sass in his step. but none of this really matters when you have michael goddamn douglas shimmering like a diamond studded liberace coat under a spotlight. in the words of jon lovitz; ACTING!
Review by <Todd> ★★★½

"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!
Review by TajLV ★★★★ 1

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…
Review by Kaleb ★★★½

Don’t have much to say about this one. It’s your typical music biopic. Michael Douglas and Matt Damon are great. It’s as good as something like Bohemian Rhapsody so take that how you like.
Review by jake kwiatkowski ★★★★★ 4

This is it. This is peak Soderbergh. I will be in absolute awe if I find another one of his movies topping this one. I'm wholly convinced Steven Soderbergh is one of the greatest to ever do it.
Review by Adam Kempenaar ★★★½ 4

"His approach to communicating with people is always to play it in a manner that reflects best on him," says Scott Thorson's adoptive father/manager in a Guardian article about Liberace's longtime lover, whose autobiography inspired Steven Soderbergh's latest movie. What Soderbergh reveals behind Liberace's candelabra -- as well as in the recent SIDE EFFECTS and THE INFORMANT -- is a world where everyone approaches all human interaction by playing it in a manner that reflects best on them, hearing and (as Lee tells his young acolyte at one point) seeing whatever serves their ever-more-desperate needs.
Douglas exudes a charismatic combination of magnanimity and monstrousness in every encounter, and credit to him and Soderbergh for pulling off the piano scenes in…

Recent reviews

Review by Killem_Dafoe ★★★

“There you are you cocksucking tenner fuck.”
I can’t believe how good Damon is in this. The introduction of Rob Lowe is a top 10 movie moment of the decade.
#32/2021
Watched on HBO Max
Review by Ethan ★★★

performances are great but not much else is that interesting
Review by Matthew ★★★★

Between this, Rocketman and I Love You, Phillip Morris, I think my favourite genre of film has become "True Story film about a gay man".
Review by Joe ★★★

Micky and Matty sitting in a tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
First comes love
Then comes unalterable plastic surgery
Then comes crippling substance abuse.
Review by Charlie Diver ★★★½

Matt is the actual star while Mickey has a right daft time and so he should, “the big old queen”.
Review by Ohthatmrwheeler ★★★★

Great performance. Solid piece of directing by Steven.
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Review by joepheby ★★★★

A very engaging and well done biopic with a good amount of creative licensing. I really like alot of aspects of this. The direction is excellent, perfectly creating a style and mood throughout the film. The sets all look great. Michael Douglas and Matt Damon are transcendent in their roles and I completely believed their characters and chemistry. The story is well-written and treats its subject matter in an honest way. The editing is solid as well.
The only problem is that the narrative structure is kinda predictable, despite the unconventional nature of the story itself and certain writing decisions within it. There are also some on the nose moments but they are relatively few and far between.
Overall, an honest portrayal of a complicated relationship made with genuine passion and reverence.
Review by Maz ★★★

The 3rd best glitzy pianist biopic I've seen this week
Kinda whatever tbh
Feels like it lets down its material
Doesn't commit to anything but maybe soderbergh is j kinda boring? Idk
Or maybe he was worried about villainising the gays? 🤷‍♂️
Review by ‮חוה‬ ★★

next on the list of biopics about piano players. this films asks the age old question, do you have to be gay to play the piano
Review by Danny Paul Palacios ★★★★

If you're not sure you're ready then you aren't ready. Matt Damon in everything.
Review by icicle_eyelash ★★★★

A lot different—and a lot better—than I was expecting. By far the best HBO movie I've ever seen. Michael Douglas is incredible in this. And the costumes... my word
Review by Andrew Reed ★★★½

Liked this more than I anticipated. Some interesting directorial choices scattered throughout otherwise standard biopic fare.
Good performances overall, Michael Douglas is great.
7.0/10