Little Voice

Directed (co-wrote) by Mark Herman, Miramax Films, 1998. Starring Brenda Blethyn, Michael Caine, Ewan McGregor and Jane Horrocks.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Question: What keeps you weak, afraid to try, or forces you to stay within your own safe bubble? Fear! I know everyone is afraid of something. Disappointment, fear of more sadness or the failure that will come again if you decide to go outside your comfort zone, so you stand still because fear has a choke-hold on you. Little Voice shows a young woman whose life's only happiness is listening to the records her father owned because her world ended when he died and so did her ability see beyond her own pain. Fear has paralyzed her.

I remember seeing this movie when it first came out about 13 years ago or so but really couldn't remember much of it. Yes, that is so unlike me. However, if you follow me and my reviews your jaw is about to drop at my next sentence. I only chose this movie on Netflix instant play because Brenda Blethyn and Michael Caine were listed as the top actors in Little Voice, but when I started it Ewan McGregor's name came up in the opening credits. Instantly I smiled but thought, "How could I forget he was in this movie?" I pushed that thought aside quickly because I was now in my own little bubble - watching a movie - and surprisingly content for the first time in a while. I was able to relax and enjoy this movie all over again.

Little Voice or LV is a shy, timid girl who hangs out in her attic bedroom room listening to records - not CDs - records of the 1950's and 1960's with artists like Judy Garland, Shirley Bassie and Marilyn Monroe. She shuts out the rest of the world when the music starts but you soon realize she is mainly shutting out her abusive mother played by Brenda Blethyn. You witness this domineering women care nothing about her daughter and for the life of it you can't figure out why. I have my theories and it has to do with disappointment - a powerful emotion that can turn a person cold, selfish and sometimes quick to become angry at those they are supposed to love.

During a moment of her mother trying again to find happiness in the only way she knows how, a duel of sorts ensues and the power goes out. LV then uses the only other way to find comfort without the records is to sing - and can she sing! This is the point in the movie you discover that her name is all wrong. I would love to tell you more but will let you discover the talent this woman has that was buried deep inside that had to come out.

Now the best thing about this movie has to be LV and when she sings but you get the feeling something isn't quite right about it all. LV tries desperately to keep her singing to herself in order to cope. However, Michael Caine stars in this film as a low-level talent scout who banks everything on having LV making him a million once he hears her voice. He cunningly convinces LV to perform but there is a consequence to his manipulation. However, that is all I will say about that.

Should I say anything about my favorite actor? Of course! It makes me happy. He is a quiet fellow in this film who enjoys homing pigeons as a hobby. He meets LV and discovers another shy person and for some inexplicable reason they start a friendship. He cares for her like no one else does, watches over her, and is there when she needs him the most. It was sweet to witness a friendship like that.

Little Voice is a movie about finding the ability to stand on your own two feet and overcoming a debilitating fear. Some of the scenes were a bit over the top especially with the abusive mother. However, sometimes showing people whose fears have swallowed them up, which in turn causes their reactions towards others to be less than kind can show how the abused person can become paralyzed and seeks refuge alone. It ain't pretty but it made the point well. Fortunately, there was some great music to balance out some of the ugliness.

This is based on the play "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice" which was written for Jane Horrocks and her talent.


My favorite part: The times when LV sings. Now close your mouth - yes, he was my second favorite but I am biased.

My least favorite: I am not going to say on this one.

Rating: R
Length: 97 minutes

Review: 6 out of 10

Click on film poster to watch film:

Eye of the Beholder

Directed by Stephen Elliott, Destination Films, 1999, Ewan McGregor, Ashley Judd, Patrick Bergin,  k.d. Lang and Genevieve Bujold.

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller.

Question: Can a man fall in love with a woman that he's never met, spoken to or doesn't even know her real name? Well, in the Eye of the Beholder, they try and answer that question.

A friend who knows I adore Ewan McGregor told me about this movie. I hadn't heard of it before and was curious to see it. Alright, I see everything he is in, you all know that by now, right? Anyway, I put it on my Netflix queue a few weeks ago and it arrived on Tuesday. I didn't get a chance to see it that night - although I really, really wanted to. So today before I had to pick up the kids from camp I popped it in.

This is a story about redemption, a thriller, and a love story but not necessarily in that order. Yes, I know what it says above but this is what I saw in this film (Eye of the Beholder, people). I saw a man and a woman who are both so alone, scared and with thoughts of such tremendous loss that they might be a little insane. Okay, one might be more insane than the other. But as the story unfolds I don't think either are really crazy - just lonely and trying to gain some stability in their lives.

When people see themselves in someone else who has experienced similar tragedies/heartaches/loss it can be a very powerful attraction. Is that love? Perhaps. Or is it something else completely? And can it have a happy ending? Well, I am not going to answer that - you'll just have to see for yourself.

I really don't want to give anything away about this movie because it was lovely to see a film that I knew nothing about. But I have to entice you guys, right? Ewan looks cute, of course, and Ashley Judd is quite attractive but what impressed me the most were their performances. How does one portray such sadness, desperation to find something secure or recapture what they lost especially when there isn't a tremendous amount of dialogue? Well, both of the actors did - and did it quite well.

Another reason to see this film is that it is untainted with a typical Hollywood ending. That alone would make me see any movie.

Lastly, to me, Eye of the Beholder said something about real life - not so much what the characters said but they way they behaved. Behavior is thought to be a reaction of or to something. In acting reaction is the essence of the medium but can be written totally out of whack of real life. They say: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. And for the two characters, played by Ewan McGregor and Ashley Judd, the force between them, even though they hardly shared many moments together, evoked that law of physics stunningly.

There was one song that played when they first met, so to speak, that gave me goosebumps - It is sung by Chrissie Hynde. "I Wish You Love" - and that pretty much sums it all up for me. Here is the song and a really, really good way to do a trailer!




Favorite thing: Don't be shocked by this - Ashley Judd. Yes, I still thought he was good!

My least favorite thing: In some scenes the costumes for the extras looked like it was supposed to be 1972 not present day.

Rating: R
Length: 109 minutes

Review: 8 out of 10

Blazing Saddles

Last night I watched a movie for the first time: Blazing Saddles. I know what you are thinking: Why did I never see this before? There are several reasons. I was too young to see it when it first came out; and I just never tried to watch it when it became available for rent. Then I chose not to see because I felt that I heard every joke. Does that ever happen to you? Not watch a movie because you feel you have heard every punchline? It has happened to me a couple of times. Another movie that took me a long time to see was This is Spinal Tap -- another fantastically funny movie.

Well, last night I finally watched Blazing Saddles. I was playing this weekly game of sorts with my music-loving friends where we try to find songs with themes -- the theme this week was about working. I found the Working Song in Blazing Saddles (on YouTube) and couldn't stop laughing. I stopped playing the game and decided to watch the film, finally, and see what I have missed these past 3 1/2 decades. Oh, did I tell you that my husband and I bought the DVD 12 years ago -- yep, I still didn't watch until last night.

Alright, this is not one of my typical reviews because I assume everyone has seen this movie -- right? At least people my age and above. (Has the younger generations seen this classic? I wonder.) Anyway, I thought it was hysterical but what really got me was the blatant use of words or terms that we consider unusable today. I was in shock. Yes, it was irreverent to make a point and they made it. But how did a movie like this one get made? I am glad it did but do you think it could be made today? My guess is no.

The other thing I thought about: How did Mel Brooks pitch this to Hollywood? I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that. Imagine him sitting in an office at Warner Brothers ( I am guessing that Studio because of the end of the movie was on the WB lot) - in the early 1970's - saying,  "Well, we are going to make fun of stupid, ignorant people by using all the stereotypical words, phrases, offensive terms to make our point, but it will be really, really funny?" Thank god, someone knew Mel Brooks had a sense of humor and let him make it.

The question today is: What filmmakers do we have that are like Mel Brooks? My first thought was the Farrelly Brothers and Christopher Guess. Anyone else?

My favorite Mel Brooks movie: Young Frankenstein. This movie came out the same year as Blazing Saddles. 

Blazing Saddles
This Is Spinal Tap
Young Frankenstein