This is a film that I would give a million stars for, if I could, purely for the amazing talents of Jane Horrocks. Without Horrocks the film would be a flop. With her, it’s one of those films that filled me with shivers at all the crucial, emotional moments and it’s a firm favourite. It’s also filled with some fantastic support from some great actors and actresses, such as the great Michael Caine, Jim Broadbent, and the ever lovely, Ewan McGregor. Having said that, the actors in this film show just how versatile they can be when attempting to portray the characters in this film.
LV (Jane Horrocks) is a painfully shy girl, living with her crazy, loud, man hungry mother, Mari Hoff (Brenda Blethyn). LV’s Dad passed away, and she spends most of her time in her room by his picture, listening to her dad’s records of the classic great singers such as Marilyn Monroe, Shirley Bassey and Judy Garland. However, LV possesses a truly remarkable gift- she can sing. We’re not talking an impressive sound, but she can copy Monroe, Bassey and Garland to absolute perfection, and we only ever really see her come out of her shell when she’s singing- and feeling closer to her Dad. One day, Mari has her phone installed by the shy and ever so sweet Billy
(Ewan McGregor). He immediately falls for LV, but because they’re both so shy, they do nothing about it! And they share the shy glances at each other, quickly turning away when the other looks around. When Mari brings her new man of the moment, Ray Say home, we learn that he’s an agent, and is always searching for a new star that will earn him as much money as possible. When LV shuts herself in her room and starts to blast her records out to drown out the sound of her mum and her man (*shudder*), the power goes out, so LV decides to sing to herself. You guessed it, Ray hears her and the cogs in his head starts to work, and he immediately decides he’s going to make LV a star. But it can be guaranteed that things won’t run smoothly, and there’s not a happy ending for many people.
I found the plot to be quite predictable, but that can be expected because this film is quite simple and light hearted- any drastic or complicated plot lines would ruin the film, and it wouldn’t be what it became. (Came out in 1998)
So who’s in it and where have I seen them before?? Jane Horrocks: I was stunned to learn at the end of this film that Horrocks did all the singing herself! How fantastic a talent is that!? It’s that which blew me away and created my love for the film. I’m not sure how old LV is supposed to be in the film, but Horrocks portrays very well, a shy little mouse that seemed to stop growing after her father died. I think Horrocks is a very versatile and flexible actress, and she proves it in this film. I never knew she could sing at all until I saw Little Voice, and I definitely think she should do more singing alongside her career. However, she has done loads of voices for films too. Other Films: Chicken Run (2000) – the voice of Babs. Robbie The Reindeer – Donner. Absolutely Fabulous (from 1992) – Bubble.
Michael Caine: Caine took me through a whole range of emotions in this film. He had me giggling so hard my chest hurt, having my head on one side and smiling fondly, wanting to hug him, and wanting to hit him! He plays Ray Say an enormous amount of energy and I always feel part of that rubs off on his co-stars. He and Brenda Blethyn work extremely well together, and credit has to go to Caine for his involvement in some form in over 100 films! I love him in Little Voice, I think Ray Say was meant for Caine, and no one else. Other Films: Austin Powers: Goldmember (2002) – Nigel Powers. Miss Congeniality (2000) – Victor Melling. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) – Scrooge.
Ewan McGregor: We’re used to seeing McGregor in main roles as the daring fighter (Star Wars) or the dashing and sexy seducer (Down With Love) so it’s nice to know his roles haven’t always been like those characters. In Little Voice, we see Billy as the shy and slightly geeky and awkward young man, and McGregor is a chameleon in this role, and portrays it beautifully. His performance isn’t overpoweringly outstanding, but he still brings a smile, or is that just me… hehehe! Other Films: Big Fish (2003) – Ed Bloom. Moulin Rouge! (2001) – Christian. Brassed Off (1996) – Andy.
Brenda Blethyn To be honest, I hadn’t heard of Blethyn until Little Voice, but her performance was fantastic in this! She transformed herself into this loud mouthed, over bearing person, who made me laugh, and made me hate her at the end. I feel it’s partly Blethyn’s performance which added much of the comedy to this film (her voice and accent somehow tickled me), and like I said before, she worked very well with Caine; their two characters blended so well together. Other Films: Beyond the Sea (2004) - Polly Cassotto Sonny (2002) – Jewel Phillips. The Witches (1990) - Mrs Jenkins.
This is a really simple film- there are no amazing effects, no action sequences, but there’s still something that’s amazingly special about it. I’m not sure I can put my finger on it, but I think it’s to do with the talent that shines through in it. All the characters are like pieces in a puzzle- they are all very different individually, but put them together and they create something that’s fantastic.
This can be bought off Amazon on DVD fof £5.97, and you can get the sound track for £7.99
And a final thought… if someone you know is quiet- it might be because they have nothing to say. Or it might be that you’re not letting them get a word in.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1997 - Drama - Director: Gillian Armstrong - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Cate Blanchett, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson, Richard Roxburgh
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Aww I caught this film on BBC 2 a couple of years ago and luckily had the sense to record it quick. I love it, such a special film, you're right. And with some amazing performances. K xxx
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Advantages: A FILM NOT TO BE MISSED! Disadvantages: I cant think of any.
Morning_Becomes_Electra 13.10.2007 (14.10.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Little Voice (DVD)
![Little Voice [DVD] [1999]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78540383.jpg "Little Voice [DVD] [1999]")
Nov 20th, 2004
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