Release Date: May 26, 2013 (HBO)
Director: Steven Soderbergh
MPAA Rating: NR
A few months ago, director Steven Soderbergh made the announcement that he would be retiring from the movies in order to pursue other artistic endeavors. While he has been attached to direct a new Cinemax series titled The Knick with Clive Owen, Behind the Candelabra is supposedly his last feature film. So did he go out with a bang or a fizzle? It seems like having a Liberace biopic as your final goodbye is a fitting and extravagant sendoff and fortunately, Soderbergh proves once again that he’s one of the best directors out there.
The film chronicles the life of famed virtuoso pianist Liberace (Michael Douglas) and his relationship with Scott Thorson (Matt Damon). The film begins when the two meet in 1977, and follows them through 1987 when Liberace passed away due to an AIDS-related illness.
Though this does play out like your typical biopic, hitting all the standard beats and only going slightly beneath the surface of this odd, doomed love affair, Soderbergh’s ability to adapt his directing style to compliment the subject matter once again proves beneficial. That, coupled with fantastic performances from the entire cast elevate this way above the stigma of the “Made for TV movie” that some people are placing on it.
Douglas and Damon both give stellar performances and clearly have no problem leaving their comfort zones. Considering this is a film about these two men in love, there is a fair amount of physical contact between the two, and they portray it naturally and with ease. Though it was still odd seeing Michael Douglas and Matt Damon having sex, for the most part, it was easy to disconnect the actors from the characters they were portraying.
The rest of the cast was rounded out by Dan Aykroyd, Scott Bakula, Rob Lowe, and Paul Reiser, all of whom performed well, with Lowe being a clear standout. His character of Dr. Jack Startz, the tight-faced plastic surgeon was hilarious and seemed tailor made for him.
While the film as a whole simply explores the highs and lows of a tumultuous love affair, it also gets into the very relevant topic of gay marriage. For those that haven’t read the book that this is based on, or don’t know the story, I won’t get into specifics, however the inclusion of this made the film feel more topical and timely. This aspect was only a small portion of the film however, and didn’t feel preachy or tacked on in any way.
Behind the Candelabra is an extremely well acted, visually pleasing film that successfully captures the glitz and glam of the late 70s, but also doesn’t shy away from the darker side of excess. It doesn’t place Liberace on a pedestal, but it doesn’t necessarily vilify the man either. It would have been nice to delve a little deeper into his psyche, however if Soderbergh is truly retiring, this is still leaving on a high note.
