Little Voice [DVD] [1999]

LV is a mousy, meek, painfully shy and reclusive little thing with an itty bitty speaking voice. She is totally overwhelmed by her brazen and common mother, Mari (Brenda Blethyn), who treats LV with scarcely concealed contempt. Part of that contempt is fueled by LV's devotion to her late father's memory and her fondness for old time musical stars. She has a collection of records by those long ago stars, which she plays over and over, a collection that she apparently inherited from her beloved father.

Her passion for this music drives her mother crazy, as it seems to remind Mari of her late husband, whom she apparently held in the same regard in which she holds LV. Only Billy (Ewan McGregor), the local telephone repairman, a sensitive, young man who trains and raises pigeons as a hobby, seems to talk to LV as if she were a sentient being.

Mari begins dating Ray Michael Caine), an over the hill, has been talent scout. Mari is pathetic, as she tries desperately to hang on to whatever vestiges of her youth remain. Ray, a sleazy opportunist, who thinks that he is God's gift to women, does not exactly reciprocate Mari's lavish affections. I cannot, however, think of two people who deserve each other more.

One day, LV is in her room singing, and Ray overhears her, but what he hears is "Judy Garland". It seems that LV can sing and sound exactly like those old time musical stars. Ray is in seventh heaven with his discovery. You can almost see the dollar signs in his eyes. He will do whatever it takes to get LV on stage, though his unctiousness towards her only serves to fuel Mari's jealousy of Ray's attention to her daughter.

Ultimately, Mari and Ray band together, however, as LV is their meal ticket to fame and fortune, if they can only get her to overcome her shyness and reclusiveness. They do not, however, understand why she sings. It is this lack of perception that that will, in the end, be their undoing.

Nonetheless, LV goes on to give one of the most show stopping performances ever to grace center stage. The transformation is incredible. Jane Horrocks gives a performance to be remembered! The only question is whether Ray and Mari can get LV to sing more than once. See the movie and find out for yourself. This is, without a doubt, an exceptional film.

Then, in one of those scenes that delightfully catches us by surprise, both Ray and the audience learn that LV might not talk, but she can sing. More to the point, she can sing like the singers on the records she listens to, which means we are talking Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey, Billie Holiday, and other music icons. Ray has dollar signs in his eyes that blind him to the obvious amorous affections of Mari as the big question becomes how to get the timid LV upon on the stage at the club of Mr. Boo (Jim Broadhurst).

The rise part of the story is the most enjoyable as our anticipation builds for the moment when LV is going to let loose with all those voices she keeps bottled up inside. Of course, once that happens there is nowhere to go but down. Ray coaxes LV into the big moment through dishonest means, which is a portent of what is to come. Caine's performance is marvelous from start until the final act of this film, at which point his character throws away all of the good grace he has developed over the course of the film. Our sympathy is totally with LV, who is always singing in her mind's eye to her long departed father (special mention to Graham Turner for the perfectly wonderful smile on his face), although young Billy's earnestness wins our admiration as well. By the end of the film LV's career and a whole lot of other things are in ashes. The ending of "Little Voice" is rather unsatisfying, but to paraphrase the Bard, I am not sure what satisfaction it could provide us from where it begins.

Blethyn got a supporting actress nomination for her performance in this film and Caine's performance is what of his better efforts, but the reason to watch this film is Horrocks. In the end your biggest complaint with this film is going to be that Horrocks does not do a lot more singing. I understand the importance of the key line that LV finally gets to delivery to her mother, but I cannot help but feel that there should have been an equally important moment from the musical perspective. "Little Voice" is worth the watching, but if you find yourself only rewatching the middle section, do not be tremendously surprised.