Disjointedly myopic.

Rating: Null/10 (26 May 2013)

I was greatly disappointed in this HBO presentation of Liberace. I was not expecting a bio of the man, but I felt severely hamstrung by the lack of information. There seems to be a contradiction of living to entertain others yet be so self-absorbed and narcissistic while doing it. Its obvious the bulk of this is thru the eyes of Scott Thorson because to be otherwise would usher in much more theory, conjecture, and dramatization. At times, it seems to exhibit Liberace as a victim of sorts then the rest as person absorbed with selfish interest. Michael Douglas is superb at creating a complex character without complexity. As a pianist for 45 years, I can safely say his physical performance on the piano was more accurate than any I have seen in film before, albeit a less flamboyant as Liberace's hand movements were more grandiose. Matt Damon's performance was credible yet strangely despondent and vague. The real stand-out for me was Rob Lowe's representation of Dr. Jack Starz. Although a minor role his presence was commanding and creepy. The production values and directing were very solid, with an award for the make-up artists nearly a sure bet. But overall, the film felt a bit bumpy and disjointed, with little dynamic, and even less, ironically enough, entertainment value.