| Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey does it all in this swinging biopic: he directs, he writes, he produces, he stars, and he even sings in his own voice. He plays legendary crooner Bobby Darin, whose 1950s hits included "Splish Splash" and "Mack the Knife." Left with a bad heart after a childhood fever, Darin nonetheless seeks out the high-pressure world of stardom, performing every number like his life depended on it. Along the way up the ladder, he falls for virginal Hollywood starlet Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth) but their problems are many, including Dee's domineering stage mom (Greta Sacchi) and the constant demands of their respective careers. Through it all Darin keeps reinventing himself, going from Elvis-style rocker to Vegas crooner, and even becoming a long-haired '60s folkie. Death dogs his heels every step of the way, but it only serves to fuel Darin's artistic fire, and Spacey uses this dramatic velocity to catapult his obviously inspired performance. Spacey saw something in the Darin life story with which he deeply identified, because he plays the role with gusto. The cabaret scenes have the sizzle of a moon-bound rocket--the deconstructive plot device being that Darin is making this film from the afterlife, or "beyond the sea." Supporting cast members complete the equation: Bob Hoskins and Brenda Blethyn are the parents, John Goodman is the manager, and jazz crooner Peter Cincotti is Darin's visionary musical director. |