Little Voice
by Mark Herman
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Brenda Blethyn, Ewan McGregor, Jane Horrocks, Michael Caine, Philip JacksonDirector: Mark Herman
Brand: CAINE,MICHAEL
Writer: Mark Herman
Producer: Bob Weinstein
Producer: Elizabeth Karlsen
Producer: Harvey Weinstein
Producer: Laurie Borg
Producer: Nik Powell
Writer: Jim Cartwright
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: Letterbox, 1.85:1
Running Time: 97 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-07-13
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Miramax
Movie Reviews of Little Voice
Movie Review: (3 1/2 stars) Caine and Horrocks are fantastic
Summary: 4 Stars
Just rented this from Netflix. You can read many of the other reviews for a plot summary.
Three stars -- "it's OK", Four Stars -- "I like it". Well I didn't like *all* of it, so three and a half but round up to four because of a couple of things.
The first is obvious. Jane Horrock's singing was a wonder to behold.
The second is Michael Caine's performance. He has been a favorite of mine for a long time (Alfie, Ipcress File) and I am still amazed by his abilities. From comedy (see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) to drama (most of his work) to a mix (see The Man Who Would Be King) he really puts life into a character. In Little Voice he once again does a fine job, but the highlight for me was his rendition of Roy Orbison's "It's Over". Although from a technical perspective not as skillful as Horrock's singing it was equally, or more, effective in expressing his character's emotions. It was this performance that prompted me to go to the trouble of writing this review.
In a review of The Man Who Would Be King, someone said of Caine (and also of Sean Connery) "movie stars who are also great actors -- of which there ain't many." (And then there is George Hamilton who, when asked how it felt to be a famous actor, replied in a huff "I'm not an actor -- I'm a movie star!" But I digress.)
Michael Caine trivia: A quote from IMDB: "First of all, I choose the great roles, and if none of these come, I choose the mediocre ones, and if they don't come, I choose the ones that pay the rent." I had a glimpse of this in 1978 on the Johnny Carson show. Caine was on to push his latest movie, The Swarm (a lousy 3.8 on IMDB's "User Rating"). When Carson threw Caine a softball question to allow him to start hyping the movie, Caine's response was that no one should bother seeing it; it was a terrible movie and he only did it because he needed the money for a down payment on a house. (I always wondered what Warner Brothers reaction was to this.) Maybe that honesty helps make him a great actor suitable for the great roles. At the least, it shows respect for his fans.
Summary of Little Voice
World-class stars Michael Caine (HANNAH AND HER SISTERS), Brenda Blethyn (SECRETS AND LIES), and Ewan McGregor (STAR WARS: EPISODE I, BLACK HAWK DOWN) deliver acclaimed performances in an inspirational story about a painfully shy young woman and how the power of music leads her to an amazing transformation! A hopeless introvert, "Little Voice," (Jane Horrocks, TV's ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS) can only manage to express herself by singing in the timeless voices of Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, and others. But once her eccentric mother's (Blethyn) new boyfriend -- a sleazy talent scout (Caine) overhears Little Voice's incredible crooning, he'll do anything to drag the recluse into the spotlight and make her a star! Cheered by critics everywhere -- don't miss your chance to enjoy this truly exceptional motion picture!Michael Caine was robbed of an Oscar. He gives his finest performance in a decade as big-talking small-time agent Ray Say, a paunchy, pale life of the party hiding his desperation under gold chains and cool bravura. When he hears the almost magical voice of Jane Horrocks's meek little LV (short for Little Voice) fill her bedroom with the rich voice of Judy Garland, he sees his ticket to the big time. Little Voice is ostensibly LV's story, and in fact the original play was written for Horrocks, whose amazing vocal impressions of Garland, Shirley Bassey, and Marilyn Monroe (among others) form the centerpiece performance of the film. But as directed by Mark Herman (Brassed Off), the story of this mousy girl who shuts herself in from a bellowing world is just as overwhelmed by the bombastic characters as LV herself. Brenda Blethyn babbles a blue streak as LV's overbearing mother, Mari, an aging widow who escapes her unhappiness in carousing and becomes almost pathologically jealous when Ray's attentions turn from her to LV. As Ray puts his dreams on the line for LV's showcase, he reveals his true self: a venal man who spits and barks out his bottled-up anger in an astoundingly bile-filled delivery of Roy Orbison's "It's Over." The showstopping moment once again overwhelms LV's tale, but Caine's performance is so astounding it seems a fair trade. --Sean Axmaker
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