Little Voice (DVD)

★ ♦♦ Little Voice ♦♦ ★






♦♦ Set in a shabby seaside town this rare gem of a film stars Ewan McGregor, Jane Horrocks, Michael Caine and Brenda Blethyn. Directed by Mark Herman And released in 1998.The Genre is Comedy/Drama/Romance ~Taken from the play by Jim Cartwright 'The rise and fall of Little Voice'. Which was written as a vehicle for Jane Horrocks ...
...

♦♦ Little voice (Jane Horrocks) is the name of the main character, well it's actually Laura, but that fact is only mentioned once by Little Voice herself in a fit of anger to her Mother in the later stages of the film . She appears to be around age twenty though this is never confirmed. Little voice is a painfully shy and quiet girl, rarely leaving the confines of her bedroom, and never leaving the safety of her house. ... more

★ ♦♦ Little Voice ♦♦ ★

♦♦ Set in a shabby seaside town this rare gem of a film stars Ewan McGregor, Jane Horrocks, Michael Caine and Brenda Blethyn. Directed by Mark Herman And released in 1998.The Genre is Comedy/Drama/Romance ~Taken from the play by Jim Cartwright 'The rise and fall of Little Voice'. Which was written as a vehicle for Jane Horrocks to showcase her amazing ability to impersonate great singers.~

♦♦ Synopsis ♦♦

♦♦ Little voice (Jane Horrocks) is the name of the main character, well it's actually Laura, but that fact is only mentioned once by Little Voice herself in a fit of anger to her Mother in the later stages of the film . She appears to be around age twenty though this is never confirmed. Little voice is a painfully shy and quiet girl, rarely leaving the confines of her bedroom, and never leaving the safety of her house. When she does talk, which is rarely, it is in a very quiet underdeveloped squeaky child language. It's as if she is stuck in a moment in time when she was a child, and as if something traumatic has kept her there. She displays all the characteristics of an disorder called selective Mutism, or social disorder. She is virtually Agoraphobic and she has a lot of subdued resentment and anger, and this spills out at times, when she erupts over and makes strange animal sounds and gurgling as if she finds it hard to express her emotions. Or she will talk quietly through closed teeth when her Mother screams at her for a response. Little voices hostility is directed mainly at her Mother. Little Voice is withdrawn and socially inept. Her father died when she was young, and this has had a devastating effect on her, and this is probably the moment of time that she is stuck in. ~

♦♦ Her Father loved to listen to his collection of LP'S ( Long playing records), and took great pleasure in the Classic standards of the likes of Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey, Marlene Dietrich, and Marylin Monroe, who Little Voice loves. When her Father died Little Voice took over his treasured record collection and now plays them full blast, and non stop in her own little world, up in the sanctity of her bedroom.~

♦♦ Her Mother, Mari (Brenda Blethyn), is a voluptuous,vivacious, over the hill, and common as muck, good time girl. She likes a drink and a good laugh. I think her need to drink and escape every night to the pub and nightclub, is to get away from Little Voice, and her overpowering problems. Mari feels a huge guilt for her daughters state but doesn't know how to help her, and she gets frustrated with her, and ends up screaming and swearing, and running her down. She loves her but can't work her out, and can't face her own feelings of guilt. Mari hooks up with the local impresario Ray Say (Michael Caine) Complete with red sports car, and flashy shirts. He is the local talent scout for acts and singers for the club, he knows talent when he hears it, and he makes a comfortable living from the proceeds. Up to his neck in debt, he lives his life 'day to day'. He also likes a drink, and their relationship is about having a good time, and a good nights drinking. Mari wants more from him, and she feels he might be the 'one' but all Ray Say wants is a fumble and a beer, at the end of the day.~

♦♦ One night after a heavy night on the town and on the booze Mari and Ray stagger back to her place for afters, when all of a sudden Ray hears Little Voice singing up in her bedroom. She is singing her heart out, giving a rendition of a Marylin Monroe song, she has an amazing voice, clear as a bell and like an angel. He sees pound signs in his eyes, and devises a plan, there and then, to get her out of the bedroom, and onto the stage. His ultimate quest being to make her a star, and himself rich.~

♦♦ In the meantime Billy (Ewan McGregor) when doing some work for Mari in her home, came face to face with Little Voice, and they formed an instant connection, a meeting of minds. Little was said but a bond was formed. Billy is very shy, and isolates himself with his pigeons, his pride and joy, and in Little Voice I think he sees a kindred spirit. He hears of Rays plot to put Little Voice on the stage, and he isn't happy about it, and wants her left alone. He understands her pain and he wants to protect her. ~

♦♦ This is a wonderful film which had four nominated performances. Each part played was acted out superbly. From a near on cameo performance from Jim Broadbent as club owner Mr Boo through to Little Voice herself played by Jane Horrocks.

♦♦ Brenda Blethyn is exceptional as Mari, I first saw her in 'Secrets and Lies' which is an amazing film if you get the chance to watch this, and her performance in that was superb. She really knows how to get to the heart of the character, she is totally believable, and in the case of Little Voice I empathise with her every step of the way. There is a wonderful scene near the end, where she wears her heart on her sleeve, and every woman will be able to identify, and share that moment with her. She is a quality Actress and anything with her in seems to be good. Her Comedy value in this film is first class, she is a brilliant comedy actress, and the scenes with her dancing are hysterical.~

♦♦ Michael Caine is a method Actor, and is totally natural. He is excellent in the role of Ray Say, with the right amount of sleaze and swagger, he plays the good time cowboy impresario perfectly. He has a nice human side which I found very endearing, and then a really nasty one too where his greed, need for power, and love of money come into play. I think he acts a lot with his face and his expressions display his emotions perfectly. He is a great character Actor . And he won an award for his performance in this film. There is a very poignant moment towards the end when Caine sings a song. Look out for this. It's bloody brilliant!.~


♦♦ Jim Broadbent does a fabulous job on Mr Boo. He plays the stereotypical shabby seaside town club host with convincing characterisation. With greased backed hair and looking slightly seedy, this wanabee Comedian does his best but the crowd just can't stand him. He introduces the Acts with exaggerated gestures and loud voice, and his comedic flair is brilliant. His jokes fall flat as a pancake, as the audience cough, and shuffle, and say "get a move on". to get him off the stage.~

♦♦ Ewan McGregor is charming as Billy, I find him a very genuine Actor, natural and easy on the eye. He's a good looking bloke, and he is one of my favourite young Actors. I loved his performance in Moulin Rouge. He plays the part of Billy in this film very well, with a sincere performance throughout. Theres nothing really for him to get his teeth into here, but he does well with what the script allows. ~

♦♦ Finally Jane Horrocks as Little Voice. This play was written for her after Jim Cartwright witnessed Jane Horrocks singing and impersonating famous singers, he wrote a Musical especially as a vehicle for Jane , incorporating her talents as a mimic. I personally didn't think she was quite right for this role, although it having been written for her. She played 'Bubble' in Ab Fab which is what I first saw her in. But nonetheless she gives a brilliant performance in this film with the right mix of childlike quality and angry, disturbed young woman. At the end of the film the credits tell you she sang all the songs live on set, which in itself is remarkable. She is a fantastic mimic, and captured the voices of Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey, and Marylin Monroe amongst others, to a T! .~

♦♦ The characters compliment and blend well within this moving story. They have been carefully cast and each interact well with each other. It's a gem of a British film. I really enjoyed it, I found the storyline very interesting, and I found myself going with the flow. The camera work was exceptional and really captured the life of grime and social disorder within this family, and the characters surrounding it. The dialogue was well written and carefully put together. It was easy to watch and has some great Comedy moments throughout. In fact I was giggling, and laughing quite a lot during this film. With such superb acting and a great script and excellent direction, there was nothing not to like about this film. It captured the feel of the pace of a sleepy seaside town very well, and of the shabby lives set amidst the drinking, and feuding within a dysfunctional family. It was filmed on location in Scarborough, Yorkshire and It caught the style of the era exceptionally well with dress and attitude. I would recommend this film wholeheartedly. In fact in my opinion, it would be a shame not to see it. ~

The running time is: 95 minutes, and the BBFC rating is 15.

You can purchase this from DVD.co.uk for £4.45 .

♦Cast♦

Mari - Brenda Blethyn
LV - Jane Horrocks
Billy - Ewan McGregor
Ray Say - Michael Caine
Mr Boo - Jim Broadbent
Annette Badland Sadie
Philip Jackson George

Director: Mark Herman.
Jonathan Benson.
Producer: Elizabeth Karlsen and Laurie Borg.
Script: Jim Cartwright. (from the play The Rise and Fall of Little Voice)
Cinematography: Andy Collins.
Music: John Altman.

Thank you for reading.
Electra 2007. 

...less