Fridae

Is the US media to blame for the poor box-office performance of
Kevin Spacey's last few films? His career rocketed in 1999 after
winning the Oscar for Best Actor for American Beauty. Then
it seemed to take a tumble after US magazines revealed that he is
gay. If his diminishing box-office power is the direct result of
him being outed, then we are truly sorry. Kevin is a good actor
who deserves the accolades and acclaim he receives.

However, his new film is not about to do him any favors. Produced
by, directed by and starring Kevin himself, Beyond the Sea
is an uninspired biopic about a 1960s pop singer Bobby Darin who
made a name for himself with songs such as Mack the Knife
and Dream Lover. Structured as a movie-within-a-movie,
it shows an older Bobby trying to make a movie about his early success,
as the film flits between his present and his past.

Unfortunately, the film's unconventional structure does not save
it from being a very conventional film. Not only is it generally
uninspired, Kevin is also dreadfully miscast as Bobby. Bobby was
a dashing looker who died of chronic heart failure at just 37 years
of age, while Kevin is a weathered-looking 46-year-old. Kevin does
his own singing, which is a mistake because the vocal genius and
talents of Bobby Darin never quite come through to us.

You will leave the cinema wondering why you should give a damn
at all about Bobby Darin, especially since Beyond the Sea
comes on the heels of far superior music biopics like Ray
and Walk the Line.