Las Vegas Boy

This film is like two films merged together. One is a very superficial and often inaccurate biopic of the life of Bobby Darin. Major omissions and chronological errors abound and the Biography Channel's show on Darin's life is far better than this film. It just didn't seem like Bobby Darin's life but a caricature of it. The other film is a wonderful showcase of Kevin Spacey's many talents. Instead of just acting, he did a wonderful job of crooning as well as dancing--often in segments that were surrealistic music videos as opposed to traditional story telling. While glitzy and silly, this aspect of the film I really liked. Because of this film's unusual style and manner, it was if the film was more a free form musical picture "inspired by the life of Bobby Darin". It also seemed like it was more a showcase for Spacey than a homage to Darin.

So apart from the fact that the film isn't good historically speaking, it is wonderful from a purely aesthetic point of view. The music is well sung, bouncy and ranks high on the "cool factor". Provided your expectations are low regarding Darin's life story, you'll enjoy yourself--you can't help it.

Overall, I give it a 7 as it is very entertaining (despite its very odd style). Some reviewers gave this film a 1 or a 10 and both extremes seem way out of line. Ones make no sense at all because the film is well made, pretty and enjoyable. The tens make no sense either because the script is a mess and is abounding with factual errors. For more on these errors, check out the trivia section on IMDb or read a biography on Darin's life. I really doubt if the many writers who contributed to this film even bothered finding such a biography but just read through a list of bullet points.

Kevin Spacey has directed one movie prior to his direction of Beyond the Sea (Albino Aligator) and this one is worth a viewing.

Beyond the Sea starring Kevin Spacey as the legendary vocalist Bobby Darin is a well done biopic of the singers life. His rise to stardom from life in the Bronx to his new life on the stage. Along with him are his brother in-law Charlie played by Bob Hoskins, his wife and Darin's sister Nina played by Caroline Aaron, wife Sandra Dee performed by Kate Bosworth, and John Goodman as manager "Boom Boom" Steve Blauner.

Darin struggles with a serious ailment since his childhood and continues to fight his heart problem throughout his singing career. This motivates him to live longer and pursue happiness, like Sandra Dee. No matter what the challenge, Bobby is ready to tackle it. He broke out onto the billboards with "Splish, Splash". He wanted to go onto better things...like the Copacabana.Bobby would star in 10 movies, an Oscar nomination, seven Top-10 songs, and a family all in a span of 10 years. He had it all.

Although some parts of the movie are a little strange like some of the random dance sequences, it it tied nicely together with the making of a movie and how he interacts with the memory of his childhood.

What Spacey has given us is an enjoyable film that tells a story of a man once considered to be the greatest singer in the world. Spacey's passion for Darin goes way back to his childhood when he would listen to his parents records (see making of the movie on DVD). Spacey sings every song in the picture, dances every step, directs every scene, and even writes the script with Lewis Colick (Ladder 49, October Sky). He wanted this movie to be made to honor a great entertainer and a great person.

Spacey's hard work and determination has paid off for the whole world to see. Thanks for sharing the life of an icon.

This has been called "a labor of love" by the man responsible for this movie: Kevin Spacey. He was driving force behind this biography being put on screen, even to the point of starring in the title role. This is the most amazing aspect of them all: Spacey's imitation of singer Bobby Darin. It's unbelievable! He sounds remarkably close to how Darin sounded. He did his idol proud, that's for sure.

Those who complain that he was told old to play the part are nitpicking. I am not a personal fan of Spacey. Off-screen, I think he's a jerk. However, the criticism of him here is simply unfair. The man did an incredible job imitating Darin - period. Who could have done better?

Kate Bosworth is also very good as "Sandra Dee," the actress who married Darin. She comes across as a very positive and nice person, a lot more than Darin whose problems are shown as well as his good points. He is not always a good guy.

The language is a little rougher than I'd like to see this in this music-biography. The bits with the kid were annoying, not profound as they were obviously trying to be. In fact, the film would have ended perfectly without that last 4-5 minute scene with the child.

This film just premiered a few hours ago at the film festival here in Toronto. Kevin Spacey, Bob Hoskins and Kate Bosworth were in attendance. It was a gala event. Having said that I was very nervous about the success of a film where one guy not only produces, stars in, directs, co-writes but also does his own singing. Well, the guy pulled it off beautifully. The structure takes a little getting used to. It opens with Spacey playing Darin starring in a biopic of his own life. When a reporter walks up to him and says: "Don't you think you are a little old to be playing a guy in his twenties?" I started to feel relieved. Spacey obviously was aware that this was a potential problem in the way viewers might view his starring role and he chose to deal with it straight on instead of avoiding it. The plot is not important in this film. Rather, what the movie is about is capturing the energy and drive of Darin himself and, perhaps most important, the urgency with which he lived his life. Darin knew from a very young age that his life would likely be cut short due to a heart condition. And that simply drove him to do the best he could, and to do it as quickly as possible. Spacey's singing talent is a wonder to behold. Without actually imitating Darin, he manages to capture Darin's charisma and stage presence and well as his singing characteristics and mannerisms. While I never forgot that it was Spacey I was watching, I found his performance to be entirely believable. It was obvious that Spacey, the actor, thoroughly loved what he was doing and that every ounce of his being and all of his energy had been invested into this role. This man is a multi-talented individual who tackled a very difficult project and somehow managed to pull it off - beautifully. Highly recommended!

I was born over a decade after Bobby Darin died, so I know about him only through songs. Now that I've watched "Beyond the Sea", I feel almost like I know him personally. Kevin Spacey, who also directs, plays the famous singer whose real name was Walden Robert Cassotto. Showing Darin's career, his struggles with rheumatic fever, and his tempestuous marriage to Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth), the movie is like any biopic, but certainly worth seeing. It was really something seeing Darin doing folk music after having been a teen idol. Either way, Bobby Darin was quite a guy. I'm going to have to get my hands on a CD compilation of his songs.