Not too much insight but plenty of energy and color in this broad and professionally-mounted film

Rating: Null/10 (8 June 2014)

Although it got very good reviews I didn't watch this film when it was released (as indeed it was in the UK, where it got a cinema release). I really didn't know much more about Liberace than his name and reputation, and to be honest didn't see any reason to really know more. I still felt that way before and after the film but despite this I did think ti was a really well crafted film that is worth seeing. Based on the autobiography of one of the two main characters, Candelabra follows the relation of Liberace and his young lover Scott Thorson. In doing so we see what type of person we have and generally how things went.
I say generally because it is never a film that really gets inside the characters and explores them so much as it explores the events and broad flamboyant strokes. On that level it doesn't have much going for it but in the broad strokes it is quite excellent. The basic narrative is full of color and is engaging throughout as we see Scott go down the well- worn path that it was obvious he always good. Seeing this journey and then the added conclusions of Liberace is what makes the film work and it has a lot going on, with a sense of the flamboyant and comical throughout.
Stylistically the film embraces the period and the lifestyle, with great sets, costumes, characters and sequences. The cast equally latch onto this. Douglas is great; really good energy and presence, and he is able at least to find a person in there that the script doesn't do as much to help him with. Likewise Damon is very good despite the person getting lost in the broad strokes. Support is mostly equally fun â€“ particularly a turn from Rob Lowe, but the cast is deep in names and faces with Bakula, Aykroyd, Koechner, Reiser and others all getting the tone of the film.
There may not be a lot of insight in here, but it is a film that has a great broad stroke and delivers it well, from the design of the film through to the performances. Well worth a look for what it does well, even if it is limited in certain areas.