Beyond the Sea

(c) AJMalouin 2006
(Rating: 22 by Al) (2004/USA. Directed by Kevin Spacey) (1 hr 58. Rated PG-13 for some strong language and a scene of sensuality.)

The fabulous performance of Kevin Spacey is hereby nicely obliterated by the fact that we have to listen to Bobby Darin’s music.

If you LIKE Bobby Darin’s music, you are going to be in hog heaven, as this movie is full of that kind of stuff. (Darin was a monumental talent but just not Al’s cup of tea.)

Spacey does a superb job of playing Darin. His on-stage night club presence is flawless. Spacey sings the songs himself and dances and finger-snaps excellently through all the show-business business. He is wonderful. Loving Spacey as we do, however, we never “see” him as Bobby Darin. (Spacey is almost like Jack Nicholson in that he is such an icon whom we always know is Spacey, no matter who he is playing.)

Kate Bosworth does a serviceable job here in playing Sandra Dee, Darin’s wife. (Sandra Dee’s somewhat tragic death was announced in late February, 2005, as we wrote this review , apparently due to a combination of anorexia, alcoholism, depression and other debilitating factors.) (We, of course, are referring to Dee’s death, and not to the conditions under which we write…)

The tragically early death of Darin and the family problems he encountered in his life are not shied away from in this movie.

John Goodman, Bob Hoskins, Caroline Aaron and several others each clock in with lovely performances in this movie.

Its’ a wonderful film if you enjoy Bobby Darin’s work. It’s tough sledding if you don’t.