Thursday 21 September 2017

Little Voice (1998 Mark Herman & scr)

'The Rise and Fall of Little Voice' by Jim Cartwright was first performed in the West End in 1992, directed by Sam Mendes, with Jane Horrocks and Alison Steadman. Horrocks had had several years then to perfect her performance, in which she reproduces Monroe, Dietrich, Bassey and Garland perfectly. Brenda Blethyn good too as essentially unlikeable mother, Michael Caine brilliant as usual as more sympathetic (but essentially unlikeable) promoter. Thankfully there's a sensitive bird fancier (Ewan McGregor), otherwise the film would be a hard watch, and that's perhaps why we hadn't revisited it for so many years, despite good production.

Scarborough looks much nicer than it sounds.

Herman wrote and directed the Boy In The Striped Pyjamas (2008) - another broad comedy - and stuff like Brassed Off and the messy Hope Springs (Firth, Graham, Driver, 2003).

With Jim Broadbent, Philip Jackson, Annette Badland, Alex Norton (good as talent scout).

Didn't recognise names of Andy Collins (camera), Michael Ellis (Cross of Iron a notable early editing job), John Altman (music).



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