#140RVW
Good not great little film featuring the show-stopping Jane Horrocks. Great British comedy, but I suspect this made a better play than film.
What’s more:
Playwright Jim Cartwright apparently wrote his play “The Rise and Fall of Little Voice” specifically for the immensely talented singer Jane Horrocks, a fact that is completely believable once you hear her. (Future Oscar-winner Sam Mendes directed the play, which was then adapted for the screen by writer-director Mark Herman.)
Little Voice (so nicknamed due to her extreme shyness) shuts herself away in her overbearing mother’s house, obsessively listening to her deceased father’s record collection and perfectly mimicking the singers. Her mother (Brenda Blethyn) is a loud, brash tart, always looking for a successful man. When she brings home never-been promoter Ray Say (Michael Caine), he instantly recognizes LV’s talent and he plots to finally hit the big time behind this unexpected miracle. If he can only get her out of her room…
Little Voice is a neat little movie, although its origins as a play are incredibly apparent. It may be a tale best told on stage, as all the best thrills come from hearing Horrocks sing. It doesn’t really seem fully baked, frankly. Ewan McGregor has a nice little role as a shy pigeon-fancier who is sweet on LV, but there really isn’t any particular need for the love story – it isn’t relevant and doesn’t advance the plot. There’s a ton of great acting going on, but no one character really gets a worthwhile story to tell. Horrocks is simply masterful as LV, and has some lovely scenes with Caine, but the story is in a terrible rush to get to her performances and feels underdeveloped. I’m nitpicking a bit, but only because I enjoyed the movie so much, I just hoped it could be a bit more. It’s still highly recommended.
Poster:
Trailer:
http://youtu.be/p__rDxNTPmA
Bechdel Test:
Pass
The Representation Test Score: B (7 pts)
(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)
| Main Cast | Brenda Blethyn Mari Hoff, Jane Horrocks LV, Michael Caine Ray Say, Ewan McGregor Billy |
| Rating | R |
| Release Date | Fri 04 Dec 1998 UTC |
| Director | Mark Herman |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama, Music, Musical, Romance |
| Plot | The pathetically shy LV lives the life of a recluse listening to her late father’s old records in her room and in the process driving her abusive… |
| Poster |  |
| Runtime | 97 |
| Tagline | Finding your own voice can be magic. |
| Writers | Jim Cartwright (play), Mark Herman (screenplay) |
| Year | 1998 |
