Behind the Candelabra

HBO | Release Date: May 26, 2013

6.9	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Review this TV Series

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

DawdlingPoetNov 25, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. For a start, this movie is directed by Steven Soderbergh, who also directed the Oceans movies (Oceans Eleven etc.) and this movie is also very stylised in a similar way - it features lots of smooth camerawork including some wide pan angles, with quite flamboyant characters (most certainly the lead, Liberace) plus of course its set in Vegas. One of the first things I noticed in this movie was how yellow it was - there's a constant yellow tint, lighting wise throughout.

I felt it was easy to see things from Scotts side of the story throughout, likely sharing the questions and doubts he had. Liberace comes across as quite brazen, clearly flirting with him at an early stage when Scott didn't perhaps entirely seem to realise, or moreso was a bit reticent. It was interesting to see the slightly more vulnerable side to a character like Liberace, who pretty much lived for his public persona image. He does come across as rather smug and certainly living in a fantasy world of his own making, in terms of his lavish house and the many garish costumes he wore even while at home and and he opens up and explains (shown via reconstructions) different stories, including how he was concerned JFKs murder may affect takings for his show that weekend, which turned out to not be an issue as he ended up in hospital. He certainly seems like very much a self centered person, although I picked up on a sense of vulnerability which is hard to elaborate much on, other than that he does open up to Scott about more personal issues. Scott definitely comes across as more cautious and unsure about where their relationship may lead, he is less self assured and has to decide whats right for him and deal with the resentment he receives from other employees of Liberace.

The movie moves at a good pace, its not a particularly bland movie at least, thats for sure. I found it interesting in terms of seeing how such a relationship was regarded and handled considering Liberace himself never officially announced he was gay (as far as I'm aware) - baring in mind this movie is set in the late 70s and 80s in America, where I know a lot of homophobia still exists and likely did to a higher extent back then. As the plot develops and Scott spends more time with him (who he's told to refer to as 'Li'), a more sinister aspect rears its head, as 'Li''s perhaps insecurity at some level takes a grip and a strong sense of posessiveness comes to light, which is quite bizarre - this is no average relationship or love story, thats for sure. Knowing that this movie (an HBO funded TV movie, to be precise) is based on the novel by Scott certainly makes it more intriguing, to know its based on true events (if the novel is to be believed). I found it hard at times to read between the lines and tell what either one of the main characters were feeling on some ocassions, as one would brush off the other in quite a snippy fashion. Obviously the movie revolves around the two main characters and I felt the chemistry between them (as actors) was good - they both give decent performances, Matt Damon as the more hesitant Scott and Michael Douglas as the heavily fake tan-ned and freakishly flamboyant 'Li'. Its made clear that Scott does care very much for 'Li', his fame and reputation, trying to help him at times when bad decisions occur. I thought there's some good dialogue, both characters say some revealing (I don't mean purely 'fruity') things, both clearly have their own issues and convey their insecurities well - the eye contact given is quite revealing in parts, so I'd say they give convincing performances and without that, this movie really wouldn't work.

Its a hard watch in parts as they argue and make up so often and emotions and tempers flare - indeed towards the end things get quite destructive. Its hard to tell where the story is going to go next and that helped obviously keep me interested in watching it right through to the end. Its quite tense in parts and is pretty engrossing overall, I'd say although the main thing that would be likely to put people off (other than the frankness of some of the sexual references which may well be an issue for some (not all but some people?)) is how Liberace comes across as quite self absorbed and even callous perhaps from the start. I felt that the story was handled quite sympathetically, given the course of events particularly towards the end but given its based on Scotts account of the relationship, thats pretty much a given I suppose - he presumably had a fair amount of input with the screenwriter when this project was being worked on, I imagine.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

Current TV Shows

By MetascoreBy User Score

1 92 The Pitt: Season 2

2 90 The Celebrity Traitors UK: Season 1

3 87 Hacks: Season 5

4 87 Industry: Season 4

5 87 Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal:...

6 85 The Beatles Anthology

7 85 The Traitors [UK]: Season 4

8 85 Bait: Season 1