Behind the Candelabra, 2013.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Starring Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, Rob Lowe, Dan Aykroyd, and Scott Bakula.
SYNOPSIS:
An intimate study of Liberace’s five-year relationship with Scott Thorson.
It is hard to believe, watching Behind the Candelabra, that the word bling was not coined in Liberace’s honour. This man was the king – or queen – of bling. But Behind the Candelabra goes behind the scenes, focussing on Liberace’s (Michael Douglas) secret love affair with Scott Thorson (Matt Damon), a man he meets by chance and with whom he falls in love.
Scott is a sweet, blond Californian boy, who we see living on a little ranch with Joe and Rose, his loving and protective foster parents. Scott is dog trainer on Hollywood sets and it is his interest in dogs that leads him into Liberace’s life. Going to Vegas with best friend Bob (Scott Bakula), they get to meet Liberace and his lover, the beautiful and angry protege who, Liberace later confides, has become a monster. At brunch in Liberace’s uber-kitsch home, Scott reckons he can cure Liberace’s pet poodle. And thus Scott replaces the usurped truculent ex.
There are some wonderfully camp moments, mainly provided by Liberace’s houseboy, a fabulously cute Italian-American, who bends over in just the right direction, serves snacks in hotpants and tucks Liberace up every night, regardless of who is in bed with him. The only other camp acting is Liberace’s on stage. Thanks to Damon’s understated portrayal of the innocent golden boy, who himself gradually turns monstrous, thanks to extreme plastic surgery and an addiction to dieting pills, we never consider him some camp rent boy. He is confused by his being plunged into a world of excess and bored due to lonely nights at home, Liberace either too scared or too tired to take him anywhere. But the real tour de force is Michael Douglas: he lives and breathes Liberace. Behind the twee facade is a tough saloon performer from Wisconsin, a consummate professional who has worked long and hard to achieve his opulent lifestyle. His demanding professionalism and egotistical control freakery, which includes Scott having surgery to look more like him, are the flip side of this notorious charmer who was renowned as a loving son and congenial host. Liberace is no monster, just a complicated man, leading a secretive life that involved a myriad of lies to keep his fan base believing in his heterosexuality.
Steven Soderbergh has often declared his retirement from directing, and this could be his swan song, but I doubt it. It would certainly be a loss, despite a few duffs on his filmography. This is a great piece of filmmaking and a beautifully scripted piece of story-telling. And in Michael Douglas, we have our new contender for best actor at Cannes.
Flickering Myth Rating: Film ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★ ★ ★
Jo Ann Titmarsh
Originally published May 21, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
