Beyond The Sea [DVD]

Kevin Spacey was born to play Darin. Everything he has done in his immensely talented life has lead to this point. His age is irrelevant, all he needed was a little added to his nose for the transformation to be complete. He spent over five years on this project, to write, direct, and star in this fantastic tribute. Being a big Darin fan since the mid '60s, I was apprehensive about seeing this film, especially when I read that Spacey was singing, but he won me over in the first few minutes of the first scene. His singing is remarkable, and comes very close to the real thing, and the body language sometimes makes me think I'm watching Darin.

The smartest thing Darin ever did was to keep those closest to him people he trusted from his early days, and in this film, Spacey has the finest of actors taking these parts.
Kate Bosworth is marvelous as Sandra Dee, with a walk and subtle tilt of the head that is pure Dee, as well as being incredibly beautiful. John Goodman, Bob Hoskins, Brenda Blethyn, Greta Scacchi, and Caroline Aaron are all superb, and special mention must be made of William Ulrich, the amazing youngster that plays "Little Bobby Darin" as a child, and an alter ego that follows him throughout the film.

Shot on location in Berlin and London, the cinematography by Eduardo Sera is a marvel, and the choreography by Rob Ashford and the terrific dancers are a joy to watch. The extraordinary skill and brilliance of Spacey's direction and performance makes this film one I can view repeatedly with increased appreciation, and total running time is 118 minutes.
The DVD extras are not to be missed, with a "Making of" piece, and some interesting producer/director commentary.

Spacey physically resembles Darin in the film. He has the performing style down pat, and plays a remarkably credible nightclub entertainer too. Most importantly, Bobby Darin, pop artist as well as the man he was off-stage, are indeed brought to life in "Beyond The Sea." Are there flaws? Absolutely! However, Darin's talent, drive, energy and ambition are evident through Kevin Spacey's fabulous, energetic portrayal.

Born Walden Robert Cassotto, in 1936, to a poor, working-class family in the Bronx, NY, Bobby was a frail child. He contracted rheumatic fever at age eight, and the disease left him with a seriously diseased heart. The doctor predicted he would die by the time he reached sixteen, and although he obviously did not, he lived with the constant knowledge that his life might end at any moment. Driven by poverty and continuing poor health, he possessed an innate talent for music. Encourage by his mother Polly, (Brenda Blethyn), a veteran vaudeville performer, he could play several musical instruments by the time he was a teen, and belt out a song with the best of them. His ambition was to be better than Sinatra and to play the Copacabana nightclub. He certainly did play at the Copa, many times, to sell-out crowds. As far as being better than Sinatra....well no, not to me. But does it matter? He was terrific as Bobby Darin!

Rock and roll was at its prime in the late 1950's when Darin released a song he wrote himself, "Splish-Splash." It became an instant hit, selling more than one million records. Shortly afterward his ballad "Dream Lover," topped the charts - one of my own favorites. And than came his jazz-pop interpretation of "Mack the Knife," from Kurt Weil's "Three Penny Opera." Darin's music career soared, and he was offered movie roles - not as a vocalist, but as a serious actor, and met his wife, Sandra Dee while filming "Come September." He was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Captain Newman, M.D." with Gregory Peck, Tony Curtis and Angie Dickinson.

The film begins as a movie within a movie. Darin appears onstage. It looks like he is directing an autobiographical motion picture. He begins to sing "Mack The Knife." Then he calls "Cut," and discusses with the child who plays him as a young boy, (a super performance by William Ullrich), how the story would best be told from a cinematic perspective. Darin follows the boys advice. There is a drum roll - and the audience is taken back to the Bronx, where it all began. The opening montages, with the musical song and dance numbers on New York City streets, are wonderful, and campy. Throughout, there are flashbacks, with the older Darin making comments on his life in present time. The issue of Spacey's age is addressed up front, and for me age was no issue at all. Spacey is Darin, at any and all ages. Darin's admiring brother-in-law, Charlie (Bob Hoskins) asks, "How can you be too old to play yourself?"

The supporting cast is very good, but the focus is on Darin 90 percent of the time. Kate Bosworth as Sandra Dee, Bobby's teen bride and Hollywood star, does an excellent job of portraying the sheltered, naive actress, who panics on her wedding night. Her decline from successful ingenue, to disappointed, alcoholic has-been by age twenty-six is quite moving. John Goodman as Darin's best friend and manager, Steve Blauner, is good, as is Greta Scacchi as Sandra Dee's overbearing mother - but their parts are minimal. Darin's much older sister, Nina (Caroline Aaron), overacts, at times grotesquely, and this is a shame, as her connection with her brother is an extremely important one. However, her husband Charlie Maffia, (Hoskins), brings tremendous warmth to the production.

Darin is not whitewashed here. We are shown his demons as well as all the good stuff. I was a Darin fan, but not as big a one as Kevin Spacey. However, after watching the film, I began to think about the performer and admire him more. He died at such a young age, 37, that he had little time to make his mark upon the world. Yet, he certainly did so. I say Bravo to all those involved in making the movie. You bring Bobby's name and achievements to the fore 32 years after his death. Sandra Dee also died young, in February, 2005. Both Bobby and Sandra are survived by their son, Dodd, his wife and two children.

"Memories are like moonbeams, we do with them what we want," says Bobby Darin in "Beyond the Sea." I haven't thought of him in years, but thanks to Kevin Spacey I am thinking about him now - and even listening to one of his CDs as I type.
JANA