Beyond The Sea

Synopsis: The life story of 1950/60s singer and sometime actor, Bobby Darin.

Beyond the Sea is a strange film, not because of any eccentricities but precisely because of its lack of them and in being reminiscent of the kind of sentimental, sugar-spun showbiz biopics that Hollywood used to make in days of yore. In the later stages of the film, when Darin goes through a kind of epiphany as his career sags during the cultural shift of the late 60s, it does acquire a more realistic flavour, at least briefly, before once again taking flight in the realms of squeaky clean fantasy. Think Gene Kelly or Danny Kaye and you've got Kevin Spacey as Bobby Darin. Clearly this approach was a conscious aesthetic choice (indeed the film closes with an explanation to this effect. Although not stated as such, Darin's wife's bouts with anorexia and their 1967 divorce are omitted, for instance). If this kind of sanitized hero-worship doesn't make for great cinematic material what keeps one engaged is the superb art, set and costume design, aspects which will make the film a must for fans of late 50s-early 60s style and, most pertinently, the music itself, which is delivered with great brio.

Clearly Spacey's aim was to rehabilitate Darin's reputation and he does this amply. Whilst these days the singer is principally remembered for his teenybopper hits like Splish-Splash and Dream Lover he was evidently a singer of notable calibre in the Sinatra vein. Although as clearly a dearly-held project on the part of the director, Spacey is himself not perfectly cast in the lead. He is no great shakes in the looks department and is not even that sizeable when it comes to screen charisma, not least because he sports Darin's dodgy hair-piece or even dodgier comb-over throughout, but above all, he is far too old for the part. One finds it difficult to come to terms with the 44 year old actor playing the singer in his early 20s.

Notwithstanding it is undeniable that Spacey is a very talented individual who has brought an unwieldy project to fruition. The film took a remarkable 17 years to get made with a host of writers and directors attached and at one time or another, Bruce Willis, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio considered for the lead. Not only did Spacey direct this, but he co-wrote ( the other writer credited Lewis Colick worked on the script in its original 1987 form) and co-produced and does his own singing and dancing. OK, the dancing is not too hot but he is one helluva singer and the musical numbers are all given superb treatment with Spacey showcasing a fine voice supported by a tight studio band.

Kate Bosworth is captivating as Darren's wife, the actress Sandra Dee, although Bob Hoskins and John Goodman do nothing more than their respective characteristic schtick and Greta Scacchi somehow manages to look more like Susan Sarandon than herself as Mary, Dee's mother. If the film perhaps does not stand up to scrutiny in detail, overall, it is entertaining, its sincerity is palpable and whilst it lacks a contemporary perspective as biography, its old-fashioned values will appeal to a more mature audience not afraid of a little nostalgia.

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