Beyond the Sea (2004)

Release date: 2004-12-29
Country: UK|Germany|USA
Language: English|Italian
Director: Kevin Spacey
Production Co: Lions Gate Films, Archer Street Productions, QI Quality International GmbH & Co. KG
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music, Musical
Rating: 6.7/10
Length: 1h 58min

Storyline

The life of crooner/actor Bobby Darin is presented as part fact, part fiction and much fantasy. It is framed around a biopic being filmed about and starring Darin as himself, with he being surrounded by many of his lifelong entourage from the Bronx. In that fantasy, the young actor portraying him as a child in the biopic emerges as his true younger self, questioning, knowing all, if his adult self wants the biopic to be all sugar and roses, as is the want of his manager, Steve Blauner, or if he wants to tell the truth. Regardless, what is presented of his life includes: his sickly childhood - where he was not expected to survive past his teens - with his vaudevillian mother, Polly Cassotto, his musical mentor, and his much older sister, Nina Cassotto, both who ultimately lived vicariously through his fame; his early singing career where the ultimate goal was not to rival but surpass the fame of Frank Sinatra; the meeting of who would become his wife, already famous actress Sandra Dee ...

Plot Keywords

family secret, nightclub, dying young, film star, pop music, film within a film, backstage, career, marriage, singer, illegitimacy, reference to elvis presley, drunkenness, magazine cover, musician, father son relationship, flashback, flash forward, song, genius

Short Review

Many people under 40 may not even remember Bobby Darin, let alone know about his remarkable life story. Beyond the Sea may rectify that problem and stand as a wonderful tribute to an amazing talent who left us all too soon.