Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa!

An unassuming but thoroughly satisfying film that looks at the fascinating man behind the pursed lips and waspish tongue we all know from the Carry On films. The film shows us a man both appalled and aroused by his homosexuality. a man desperate for love who pushes away any advances that may bring him a moments fleeting happiness.

He befriends playwright Joe Orton who is everything Williams wishes he was: virile, self-confident and relaxed with his sexuality. But it is Orton's partner and murderer, Kenneth Halliwell, with whom he shares the quietly desperate despair that characterises his life. Like the man himself this is very funny but also tragic. It plays to the best qualities of British film-making; well scripted. character driven and unflashy. Worth your time

A lot of my childhood was spent lying in front of the wireless listening to Round the Horne or Hancock's Half Hour or watching Carry On films. Probably the most famous line in comedy "Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it infamy!" still makes me laugh.

This is a rare insight into the man behind the comic figure and the whole production is a brilliant mix of tragedy and comedy right down to the final quotation from the coroner's court read in four different voices by Michael Sheen. He was brilliant in the role. Most of the other members of the Carry On team were so-so and their Kenneth Horne was very good but Michael Sheen carried the show and there should be an award of some sort for him.

It left me feeling "wow". To quote Kenneth Williams, to the cynic who says 'life is a joke' the only response can be 'Yes, well let's make it a good one.'

From his early appearance on stage dressed as a girl as a child, Williams was always one for the limelight and always a rather, well, mincing character. It was a trait he put to good use across his career in comedies ranging from Round the Horne on the radio to the Carry On films on the big screen. At one time he was popular across the UK and perhaps the world, with his harshest critic being none other than himself. Being dropped from Hancock's Half Hour for just doing funny voices, he worries that he will fade without ever blooming, but then along came Carry On Sergeant.

To people of my generation, Williams is famous for his voice mannerisms and work on Willo-the-Wisp and his similar characters in the Carry On series of films. I watched this film to get a bit more background to the man and, although it doesn't do much to really get to grips with the man, it is certainly very interesting in painting a convincing picture of the man. Williams is presented as a rather peculiar man who is confused by his own sexuality, has a very close relationship with his mother, is viewed as a ponce by his father and was quite adored by his fans. The film ignores the detail of the Carry On films and barely shows his famous colleagues but instead focuses on Williams himself, spending a lot of time with him alone in his room, full of self-loathing, self-abuse and self-doubt. Although it is possible after the film to sum this character up into pigeonholes (as opposed to being an unique, real person) it is still interesting to get more information on what his life offscreen was like. It isn't a wonderful character study but it does enough.

Michael Sheen is a big part of the film working because he not only gets the impersonation spot on, he only has the ability to go beyond that and get close to producing a real person. The narration helps him but in his scenes he still produces a real person (or at least as close as the material was going to get). He is the main show here but he is well supported by Campbell as his mother and various impersonations from Edney, Trenaman, Charles, Clarke and a few others.

Overall an interesting and engaging film even if it doesn't totally get into the heart of character. Sheen's performance could easily have just been an impression but he does well to try and bring out more of the person behind the public personae. Not totally successful but interesting nonetheless.

'...or wonder about me, and ask themselves what matter of man I was. How to ever tell them, how to ever explain. How to say I never found love, how to say it was all my fault. Who can say where it all goes wrong?'

-Kenneth Williams

Michael Sheen gives a terrific performance in BBCFour's KENNETH WILLIAMS, FANTABULOUSA! A biopic based of the late, great performer, raconteur's diaries.

For anyone who grew up with Mr. Williams, - either in his appearances in the CARRY ON films, or, saw him is such gems as MAKE MINE MINK, or saw his appearances on the chat shows of the 70's and 80's, this will surely bring back memories.

Mr. Williams was a staunch defender of his privacy. Honestly, I don't blame him. He gave himself, generously, on stage and screen. But, due to the UK laws bearing sexual activity between consenting adult males, Mr. Williams felt that, once he was off the stage, he was...'celibate.'

While that's certainly not true, as this film shows (based on Mr. Williams' immaculate diaries), he was conflicted, never able to find...happiness in himself - only through the applause he got.

Michael Sheen does a marvelous job, here - embodying many of the dialects that Mr. Williams used throughout his career, and shows his chameleon-like ability to go from pathos, to bawdy humour in a flash.

A true comic legend, lovingly recreated, warts, and humanity, and all.

I saw this very emotionally painful portrayal and it was fascinating. The conflict between the public and private faces of Williams and the pressure he was under is illuminated in a way that even those who knew something about him would be surprised. The cast acted superbly, but Michael Sheen was outstanding. I only realised it was him when I saw the earlier comment. He looks completely physically different in this role, from any other role I have seen him in or as himself. Williams autobiography differs markedly from his diaries,as represented in this film. The film is at times distressing to watch, because of the emotional anguish displayed. However, it is a worthwhile experience and a film that can be recommended highly.