Cast:

Mari Hoff - Jane Horrocks
Laura Hoff (LV) - Brenda Blethyn
Billy - Ewan McGregor
Ray Say - Michael Caine

Director: Mark Herman

British movies, like most things in their culture, are an acquired taste. They have their own mood, style and flair that set them apart from any other. I acquired this taste during my residency there, and since then, have always had a place in my cinematic heart for them. They include movies like, The Commitments, The Full Monty, Trainspotting, more recently Waking Ned Devine, and now comes Little Voice, also fitting into that mold.

Little Voice is a movie, based upon the play "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, written around and for the actress starring in it. Jane Horrocks is unfamiliar to a lot of American fans; she’s appeared in the sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, which has acquired a bit of a cult following here. For most people though, this will be the first exposure to her, and it’s one that most will remember I believe. Horrocks has an incredible talent of being able to mimic singing voices that she hears. It’s amazing to me that this is the first time we’ve seen here, but I have a feeling it won’t be the last. The movie shows her, silent most of the time, holed up in her room listening to records, and staring at a picture of her father. He turned her on to the likes of Shirley Bassey (Goldfinger), Marilyn Monroe, Billie Holliday and Judy Garland. She lives with her overbearing, obnoxious mother (Blethyn) who shows disdain for her music and her talents, and would rather be the center of attention always. She picks up a lowly talent agent (Caine), one night in a bar, and its during one of these encounters, that the inevitable happens, and the agent discovers LV (as she’s called in the movie). It takes her awhile to open up and talk, other than singing, but soon she does. There’s a wonderful scene where she holds an argument strictly through songs and movie dialogue.

The rest of the story progresses slowly, but consistently forward, building towards a surprisingly powerful and definitely non-Hollywood climax. That’s another way you can tell that it’s British. British films never feel the need to rush their point. They build slowly, like a concerto, rising towards a crescendo, then evening out in the end. The second half of the movie is definitely better than the first, but it’s because such time and care was taken with the story in the beginning, that the conclusion is so good. It takes the time to introduce each of these characters, and slowly peel back the layers of each one, letting you see that there’s more to them than initially meets the eye. This is aided as well by a very able cast.

I’ve already mentioned what a find Horrocks is, but not just because of her singing ability. This ability alone would be a reason to admire her, but she also shows a deeper dramatic range. The movie is built around her, and she is indeed its’ shining star. Blethyn and Caine are both wonderful as well. Blethyn is definitely deserving of her nomination, though at first, she just got on my nerves (then again her character is supposed to) but as the movie went along, she got to me. Michael Caine is, well, he’s Michael Caine. He’s such a consistently wonderful and disciplined actor, that no matter what role he does, he’s going to be great. Ewan McGregor is thrown in, at first as only the obligatory love interest, but it develops into a bit more, and something stronger. This is far from his intense performance in Trainspotting, but always displays his growing range as an actor.

This is a movie about dreams, and people at three different levels of seeking them. Horrocks is content to live in her own world, despite the fact that she could basically write her own ticket in the world. She finds her voice, not necessarily through singing, but through finally opening up and realizing that someone cares. Caine has never had the level of dreams that he desired, and sees this as his last grasp at it, and Blethyn is a character whose better years are behind her, and who is still grasping desperately to hang onto her glory years. Overall, this is not a movie for everyone. It takes patience that some American fans that like car chases, explosions, and general violence do not have. It’s not a great movie; there are some attempts at deeper symbolism that are a little inconsistent. But I think this a jewel. ($$$ of $$$$)

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You can also see my reviews at the Online Film Critics Society, of which I am a proud member.