FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Beyond The Sea [DVD]

Beyond The Sea [DVD]
enlarge	Actors: Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, John Goodman, Bob Hoskins, Brenda Blethyn Studio: Entertainment in Video Category: DVD List Price: ~~£19.99~~ Buy New: £1.93 as of 22/11/2009 01:57 GMT details You Save: £18.06 (90%) New (14) Used (12) from £1.18 Seller: direct_offers_uk Rating: 24 reviews Sales Rank: 5536 Format: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen Languages: English (Subtitled), English (Original Language) Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over Region: 2 Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 118 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 UPC: 501723919285 EAN: 0501723919285 ASIN: B0007LEJQS Theatrical Release Date: 2004 Release Date: April 18, 2005 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 24 1 2 3 4 5 Next » "he was born to play the part" June 26, 2005 Alejandra Vernon (Long Beach, California) 19 out of 19 found this review helpful This is a musical masterpiece; it is not a biography, but a surreal portrait that captures the essence of one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century. Bobby Darin was a man of extreme contrasts, a dynamo with "a hot head and a weak heart", living on borrowed time, and making every minute count. brThere are song and dance sequences in this polished gem that are reminiscent of the great movie musicals from decades ago, blended into the dramatic story of Darin's life. pKevin Spacey was born to play Darin. Everything he has done in his immensely talented life has lead to this point. His age is irrelevant, all he needed was a little added to his nose for the transformation to be complete. He spent over five years on this project, to write, direct, and star in this fantastic tribute. Being a big Darin fan since the mid '60s, I was apprehensive about seeing this film, especially when I read that Spacey was singing, but he won me over in the first few minutes of the first scene. His singing is remarkable, and comes very close to the real thing, and the body language sometimes makes me think I'm watching Darin. pThe smartest thing Darin ever did was to keep those closest to him people he trusted from his early days, and in this film, Spacey has the finest of actors taking these parts. brKate Bosworth is marvelous as Sandra Dee, with a walk and subtle tilt of the head that is pure Dee, as well as being incredibly beautiful. John Goodman, Bob Hoskins, Brenda Blethyn, Greta Scacchi, and Caroline Aaron are all superb, and special mention must be made of William Ulrich, the amazing youngster that plays "Little Bobby Darin" as a child, and an alter ego that follows him throughout the film. pShot on location in Berlin and London, the cinematography by Eduardo Sera is a marvel, and the choreography by Rob Ashford and the terrific dancers are a joy to watch. The extraordinary skill and brilliance of Spacey's direction and performance makes this film one I can view repeatedly with increased appreciation, and total running time is 118 minutes. brThe DVD extras are not to be missed, with a "Making of" piece, and some interesting producer/director commentary. Hugely under-rated- a great bio pic. September 21, 2006 Chris Pearson (Gloucestershire, UK) 13 out of 13 found this review helpful I was no fan of Spacey or Darin, but this film changed all that. br / br /Spacey is outstanding. The Darin story sucks you in from the beginning. The soundtrack -Spacey singing, not Darin-is absolutely terrific. The ending poignant and thought provoking. I had to watch it twice I was that drawn into this film. br / br /And anyone who isn't touched by the rendition of 'Once upon a time' ..well, shame on you. br / br /Excellent vewing. Rent, buy, borrow...and keep. Wow An Actor Who Has Other Talents March 7, 2006 Steven Stewart (steveo.stewart@hotmail.co.uk) 11 out of 11 found this review helpful Being a fan of the swing era and in particular Darin I couldn't wait to see this movie when I first heard about it being made. Knowing about the people involved, what story it had to tell and the format it would take I just knew this would be amazing from the first minute to the last. Kevin Spacey is currently the finest actor to ever grace the silver screen, and he will go down in history as one of the finest to ever grace it. Bobby Darin in contrast was one of the finest singers of the great musical generation, was basically the first ever teen idol and has definitely gone down in history as one of the most entertaining and charismatic singers of the swing generation. br / br /Before the film had even come to the screens, there was constant talk about whether Spacey was too old to play the part being 45 at the time and playing Bobby from his early to later career. In some respects it may be true that Kevin may have been too old to play the part, but he certainly put my fears to rest. The opening sequence of the film is an elongated introduction to the legendary song of "Mack The Knife" in which we're instantly introduced to Spacey as Darin making his way to the stage. The minute Spacey hits the stage, grabs the mic and engages the audience of actors you know that he was born to play Darin. br / br /The story quite simply focuses around the life of Bobby Darin starting off modestly in his childhood when being taught the piano and to sing by his Mother, then growing into becoming the star he is. At the age of 8 Darin overheard a doctor tell his mother that he (Darin) would be lucky to see 16 years of age, so he lived in constant fear of his own mortality and developed high determination to live his short life to the fullest. Throughout the story we come to see the people he met that changed his life forever, especially his first wife Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth). br / br /Being a Biopic Musical is something you don't regularly see, but when it does come around it certainly is an experience and this is made all the better with Spacey doing his musical performances. I honestly didn't realise that Spacey had such vocal talent, but the mimicry of all of Darins mannerisms are certainly something special. The dialect, the movements, the charisma and the aura are all expressed superbly throughout the film. In effect Spacey overshadows the entire supporting cast with his truly outstanding performance throughout. I'm not sure why but Spacey seemed to put that little bit extra into this performance, whether it was to prove the critics wrong or whether it was to do Darin justice I simply don't know, but what I do know is that it was wonderful. br / br /Mentioning the supporting cast, there are certainly a few big names in there such as John Goodman as Darins manager, Bob Hoskins as his sisters husband and of course Kate Bosworth as the fabulous Sandra Dee. A special mention should go to William Ullrich as he plays a young Bobby Darin and actually performs a few musical duets with Spacey within the film. He's a delightful kid and very talented and possibly the only one not to be overshadowed by Spacey's presence. br / br /Overall I would advise you all to ignore the negative critics on this one and at least give it a chance. Of course, if you don't like it then, then at least you can say "well I gave it a shot and it just didn't work for me." This isn't a film for everyone because of its subject and its format as some simply aren't fans of musicals, but judge each film on its merit that's what I say. Kevin Spacey's "Beyong the Sea" May 3, 2005 beverly (United States) 8 out of 8 found this review helpful I think Kevin Spacey's performance in "Beyond the Sea" was outstanding. An obvious Oscar worthy performance, he was snubbed by critics and the academy. I enjoyed his portrayal of Bobby Darin and I felt his singing (yes, HIS singing) was very close to the actual voice and style of Bobby Darin. I think he should release the live recordings that he made of his recent musical tour with his Bobby Darin big band. I would enjoy hearing more of his singing and interpretation of Bobby Darin's music. Kevin Spacey should be recognized as the actor, director, producer and singer that he is. I encourage him to do more and to follow his dreams of making movies that Hollywood does not approve of. He has excellent instincts and he should be allowed to make more movies and to sing. He has earned my admiration and respect as an artist who is willing to do what is in his heart. Spacey / Darin ? Which one is Which? May 3, 2005 12 out of 13 found this review helpful Just before this movie hit the Cinema, I listened to the soundtrack featuring the songs from the film all sung by Kevin Spacey, produced by the legendary Phil Ramnone and backed by John Wilson and his Orchestra. What a treat for anyone who appreciates great songs with excellent music. I was dancing around my kitchen like I was on the stage at the Copacabana! Unfortunately the movie never came to Milton Keynes so I have finally watched the DVD. Before I explain why I rate this movie so highly; just one word...Fantastic! Yes, I had read reviews that slated Kevin Spacey for playing the part of a person who died at the age of 37 when the majority of the film portrayed the early part of his life but take no notice of that. If you want to see a movie that tells a true story of success from hardship by an actor so frighteningly talented and versatile then buy this movie! I am not going to even give you a synopsis of the film as most reviewers do, if you want that kind of info then buy it and read the back cover. I want to encourage you to see this even if you know nothing about Darin and you are not a Spacey fan because it is so worth taking that chance! Kevin Spacey Directs, Sings, Dances and Acts his way through this film as if he had a masters degree in each discipline. His voice is exceptional and for anyone who has listened to the original Darin performances, you hear every quirky inflection and additional ad-libs that gave Darin his stamp of individual style. I feel that for this movie it is the music that really mattered and if they got that right then it would be good and believe me' they got it spot on! Supported by a great cast including a performance beyond his years by William Ulrich playing a young Darin, the beautiful Kate Bosworth as Sandra Dee, Brenda Blethyn as Polly (His Mum) John Goodman and Bob Hoskins this is a 'biopic' that offers the audience more than just a story. It takes you through a period where the music and political scene changed on almost a daily basis and the songs begin with a Vaudeville style performance with Polly, through the teenage screaming 'Splish Splash' the renowned Mack the Knife' and the title track, 'Beyond the Sea' to his anthem against the Vietnam War 'Simple Song of Freedom'. The film starts with Darin preparing to film a biography of his life and it is this concept that pairs him with his younger self to dip in and out of the defining moments in his life and career. There are some fantasy scenes that give the watcher a sense of magic and romance and some darker scenes that depict a time in his life that was troubled and where he searched for self-fulfilment and wrote some of his lesser-known tracks. You could put this movie on your player over and over again for the music alone hence far more value for money than the usual DVD buy! Although it ends with the disclaimer that tells the watcher not to review the historical and factual content too closely it also quotes the ethos for the whole movie; "Memories are like moonbeams. We do with them what we want." This is a tribute to Darin's life and career, sensitively looking at the toll 'celebrity' takes on family and life in general, the great love he had for his wife and child and the lifelong love they had for him. Anyone still concerned that Kevin was too old to play the part then I suggest you look at some of the Darin Sites...... The likeness is scarily accurate! Showing reviews 1-5 of 24 1 2 3 4 5 Next »

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