'Little Voice' (1998)
A movie review by Walter Frith
wfrith@cgocable.net
Member of the ‘Online Film Critics Society' http://ofcs.org/ofcs/
Good things come in small packages. And that is a perfect description for the film 'Little Voice'. Set in England, this film is a triumph of the spirit but is also a little sad at the same time, but only if you consider the materialistic side of life and how it is denied to a small group of people. And the one in the centre of it all that can make dreams come true for those around her is more concerned with the memory of her deceased father and the visions she often has of him.
Laura (Jane Horrocks) or lv ("little voice") as she's nicknamed by those around her, is a genteel, young little woman with a mousy voice who is so shy that she's afraid of her own shadow and she rarely speaks. She sits in her room all day listening to vinyl records of Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and Shirley Bassey left to her by her father who has passed away and who used to run a record shop with her mother Mari (Brenda Blethyn). Mari is a dastardly vain woman who wears tight clothes, is overweight, wears too much make-up and is way past her prime but still describes herself as having an a** to die for. She curses, stirs a hail storm of criticism at people, drinks heavily and lives like a slob. She's the perfect candidate for tabloid television and would be referred to as trailer park trash if she lived in America.
The old record shop has now been turned into a flat for residential purposes where lv and her mother live. As the film opens, lv and her mother are having their phone repaired and the telephone repairman's helper (Ewan McGregor) is attracted to lv. He often comes by to see her and on one occasion he propels the ladder bucket of his truck, you know the kind used by hydro and telephone workers, up to lv's room to pay her an intimate visit. He also raises pigeons as a hobby which makes for some of the film's more humourous scenes.
Lv and her mother come into contact with Ray (Michael Caine). He's a sleazy, small time talent agent (but is a pretty decent guy all around) who helps the local night club find new acts and lv is his latest discovery. He hears her singing from her room one night and gets her new clothes, polishes up her appearance and wheels her out on cue. The only problem is that lv doesn't want to sing for an audience, only for herself as a tribute to her deceased father. She often looks at his picture on the wall of her bedroom as she's singing. Her debut at the nightclub is made successful only when she imagines her father is sitting in one of the chairs at the club watching her sing. Lv sort of reminded me of that old Looney Toons cartoon about the frog who would only sing for the construction worker that found him and for no one else. Ditto here. Lv only wants to sing when she's around or imagines the appearance of her late father.
The film is written and directed by Mark Herman based on the stage play by Jim Cartwright. It's an excellent form of original movie entertainment made superb by a cast of characters so different from each other that real life couldn't be reflected more credibly than by this film. Jane Horrocks does her own singing in the film and is dynamite at it. Brenda Blethyn is totally convincing as her mother and does a complete 180 degree turn from her role in 'Secrets and Lies' which brought her an Oscar nomination in 1996. What a pleasure it is to see Michael Caine in top form this time around. One of my favourite British actors, Caine appeared in 1997 with Jack Nicholson in 'Blood and Wine' but had a secondary and rather forgettable role. He's astoundingly good in this movie by combining his knowledge of show business and his desire to feather his own nest by using lv's talent. He's the kind of guy you should dislike but Caine finds a way to make his character likable.
The climax of the film is a little bizarre given the tempo of the rest of the movie but 'Little Voice' will become a buried treasure that I hope audiences will embrace long after its limited theatrical run which is a shame because this film deserves to be seen by as many people as possible. It's just that good. I hope in some small way, it is remembered somewhat at Oscar time.
OUT OF 5 > * * * * 1/2
Visit FILM FOLLOW-UP by Walter Frith http://www.cgocable.net/~wfrith/movies.htm
* * * * * - a must see * * * * 1/2 - don't miss it * * * * - an excellent film * * * 1/2 - a marginal recommendation * * * - can't quite recommend it * * 1/2 - don't recommend it * * - avoid it * 1/2 - avoid it seriously * - avoid it AT ALL COSTS 1/2 - see it at your own risk zero - may be hazardous to your health
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