Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa!

'...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.

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.

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.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Kenneth Williams was arguably the most iconic star of the Carry On films, with his distinctive campy mannerisms, voice and facial expressions, along with a stuffy, uptight on screen persona that seemed to accompany it. But while he basically played himself on screen to great effect, behind the scenes he lived a solitary, troubled existence, as his diaries, which this TV film is based on, bared fruit to, leading up to his (fairly) early death at the age of 62.

I've only just been getting into the Carry On films in the last year or so, but it didn't take me long to figure out which one my favourite star was, or who, it seemed, would have lived the most dramatic life behind the scenes and made the most interesting subject matter for a TV film. Fantabulosa (which, it seems, was a bizarre phrase Williams blurted out a premiere he attended!) plays less like a dramatisation of Williams's life and more of a dark, personal take on his diaries in which he seemed to have written his final thoughts. The colour is appropriately drained out through-out to match the darkness of the content. Possibly before his star ascended to the heights that it would do, Michael Sheen took on the lead role here and, if the film possibly didn't hit the mark quite like it could, the same certainly can't be said of his performance, which seems to be an inspired piece of method acting indeed. He does literally become Williams, getting his voice spot on and his mannerisms just north of perfect. The character he brings to life is a fussy, fastidious man, stuffy and uptight who could well come off as unlikeable to those around him if he hadn't been...well, him. Although he doesn't come off as the most bearable of people, his manic comic persona is enough to pass him off to others. The film also charts his struggles with his sexuality, which he seems to regard as a dirty, disgusting thing in general, confining himself to a solitary, lonely existence with only his mother and a neighbour for company. He is portrayed as a Howard Hughes type character, afraid of germs and spraying things like bedsheets down, as well as not sharing his toilet with anyone to maintain 'hygiene.'

Somehow, the film doesn't feel all the sum of it's parts, but for an exposure of Williams's darkest inner thoughts and a great performance bringing him to life, it's well worth watching. ***

This is a "docu-drama" of (mostly) the later years of KW's life, with nearly all the parts played by actors (but spot which TV quartermaster plays himself!). It was made for the BBC4 arts channel but my guess is there will be syndication and DVD releases soon. KW is ably played by the excellent Michael Sheen, here repeating his previous stage role with great success. Most of the supporting cast are also very good, and a nice touch is the recreation of period TV appearances with the new actors. This is not, however, light viewing - anyone familiar with KW's diaries and general unhappy demeanour will already know how twisted he could be in later life - so don't expect 80 minutes of Carry On styled buffoonery, since the emphasis is decidedly downbeat throughout. Recommended, but it's tragi-comic, indeed.