Beyond the Sea (2004)

Brief: Bobby Darin (Kevin Spacey) attempts get his biopic off the ground, but the actor playing Little Bobby (William Ullrich) suggests that it's more off track than he thought. Little Bobby starts to tell Bobby the real story, and the narrative is quickly picked up by Bobby, describing his childhood with his mother, Polly (Brenda Blethyn), and his career with his manager, Boom-Boom (John Goodman); his brother-in-law, Charlie (Bob Hoskins); his sister, Nina (Caroline Aaron); and, above all, his relationship with his wife, Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth).

If you are wondering, there is no Bobby Darin auto-biopic. It's all very meta. Not quite as meta as the second season of the o.c., but it's close. Ullrich has a lot on his plate, functioning as the young actor, the young Bobby, Bobby's conscience, God, and the grim reaper. He manages to pull most of it off, but it can be confusing.

When I saw the trailer for this movie, I was pretty pumped. But the phenomenal success of Ray left me wondering if there was room for two singer tributes in one year, and the reviews and box office receipts assured me that there wasn't. Still, I wasn't convinced that that was failure on the part of the movie.

Now that I've seen it, I'm still not sure that it was the movie that failed entirely. Going through rounds and rounds of writing with numerous authors who don't want to be credited doesn't do a picture any favours, but I've only got Spacey (who also directed/shares co-author credits) and Lewis Colick to blame.

About 50% of this movie works. Spacey makes an excellent Darin when he plays the legend the way that we all love Spacey to act - as a sardonic, condescending ass with thinly veiled contempt for pretty much anyone that doesn't share or support his goals. He also excels in Bobby's song-and-dance routine, with stage presence and one helluva voice.

It's when the movie shifts to Bobby's relationship with Sandra that it grinds to a halt. I've liked Spacey and Bosworth in the past, and I'm sure I'll like them again in the future, although maybe not together. While they certainly seem friendly toward one another, there isn't anything resembling chemistry between them, sexual or otherwise. There just isn't sufficient reason to care about Dee and Darin, and the focus on them is distracting from the rest of the otherwise enjoyable fare.

Oh, but seeing Spacey up there singing away is beyond enjoyable. I wish I hadn't have missed it when he took the show on the road. Still, you might be better off with the soundtrack than the actual movie. B-