LITTLE VOICE |
| CREDITS: Director: Mark Herman. Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Michael Caine, Jim Broadbent,
Ewan McGregor, Anette Badland, Philip Jackson & Jane Horrocks. UK/USA 1998. INTRODUCTION: "Brassed Off" director Herman returns to Yorkshire with star McGregor, for this big screen adaptation of Jim Cartwright's hit West End production "The Rise & Fall of Little Voice". Written especially as a show case for the talents of the multifaceted Horrocks of "Life is Sweet" and TV's "Absolutely Fabulous" Fame. This thoroughly entertaining little comedy was selected for the opening night gala of the '98 London International Film Festival and also helped secure the National Board Of Review Career Achievement Award for Caine. AWARDS & HONOURS: AP Online Top 10 Films Of '98. Golden Globe Film Awards 1998: Actress In A Comedy Or Musical Pictures; Jane Horrocks (Nominated), Actor In A Musical Or Comedy Picture; Michael Caine, Support Actress; Brenda Blethyn (Nominated). SYNOPSIS: Following the death of her introverted father Frank Hoff (Graham Turner), Laura (Horrocks) aka LV or Little Voice retreats into a near catatonic state, communicating with no one and spending her time in her room singing along to Shirley Bassey, Judi Garland and Marilyn Monroe records, much to the chagrin of her overbearing mother Mari (Blethyn). When Mari's new boyfriend, washed up theatrical agent Ray Say (Caine) hears LV's pitch perfect rendition of the great divas, he sees his chance and together with Mari and Mari's taciturn best friend Sadie (Badland) sets out to groom her for stardom on the stage of a local club Boo's named after it's proprietor Mr. Boo (Broadbent). The arrival of two telephone engineers George (Jackson) and Billy (McGregor) to install a phone, throws the Hoff household into turmoil, as George makes a play for Mari, and the quiet pigeon fancying Billy sees a kindred spirit in LV, and seeks to save her from exploitation at the hands of Ray. REVIEW: Herman's follow up to the excellent colliery comedy "Brassed Off", once again looks at the use of music as an escape from the bleak environs of working-class Yorkshire, although this time he moves the action east to the fishing port and sometime holiday destination of Scunthorpe. However unlike in his previous film Herman makes little of the bleak backdrop, apart from a couple of scenes at Mari's mind-numbing job at a fish packing plant, we see little of the social conditions that have formed these characters. Instead this story of daddy's girl LV and her domineering mother Mari, at times seems little more than an extended case study in Freud's decidedly unfashionable theory of penis envy. With a girl unable to identify with her mother and prevented from reconciliation with her father by his tragic death retreating into her own world. Until forcibly brought back to reality by the Ray's manipulative father figure, only to be rescued by the caring Billy, resulting in much overwrought symbolism of pigeons flying free. Blethyn and Caine are brilliant leads as the brassy loud-mouthed Mari and the washed-up Ray respectively rightfully gaining a Golden Globe nomination each, with Cain taking home his trophy for the best part he has had in years. The ever reliable Broadbent heads up a top-notch supporting cast which includes Jackson, Turner, Badland reprising her Olivier nominated stage performance and McGregor playing against type in a part written especially for him by Herman, following their successful collaboration on "Brassed Off". The film however belongs to the Golden Globe nominated Horrocks, showcasing her astounding ability to mimic the great female singers of the past, in a part written especially for her. Despite at one point being offered to Gwyneth Paltrow, who beat Horrocks to the Golden Globe for her role in "Shakespeare in Love", it is impossible to imagine anyone else in the role of the mousy introvert turned diva L.V. even with the aid of the sort of playback re-dubbing that Horrocks did not require. The film at times betrays its theatrical origins, no more so than in Horrocks' tour-de-force performance of LV's act, where the lack of intimacy offered by the silver screen and the Derby Showcase's dodgy sound system greatly detracted from the effect this scene would have had on stage. "Little Voice" is somewhat hit-and-miss and decidedly weaker than the eminently commendable "Brassed Off" but it is still a thoroughly enjoyable affair. Mutt's Rating: **** |