reviewed by Charity Bishop
       

It has become something of a fad to base films around the lives of entertainers, and these movies have done quite well in numerous award ceremonies as a result. One of the more overlooked films of the genre is Beyond the Sea, a semi-biopic about the life of rock and roll crooner Bobby Darin. Fraught with illness, big dreams, and a few disasters, the film touches on the nature of the man behind the music.

Bobby Darin has not had an easy life. Stricken with a devastating illness as a child, and not believed to reach his fifteenth birthday, his one source of happiness was found in the piano his mother lovingly purchased for him. Over time, his fascination with music became an obsession that led him into a major musical career. As an adult, Bobby (Spacey) makes the acquaintance of the beautiful Sandra Dee (Bosworth) on a film set, and decides she is the woman he intends to marry. Initially disinterested in his career, personality, and overblown ego, Sandra is eventually won over through his charm and sincerity, leading her to go against the advice of her overbearing, money-minded mother and get married. But their conflicting careers led to further conflict in their marriage.

Constantly touring with her husband is bad for Sandra's movie career, and she is frustrated that they never seem to be home with their son. Only after losing an Oscar to another nominee does Bobby snap and realize that he needs some time off. But the longer he stays out of the market and away from people's opinions, the more distant he becomes to a rapidly changing market. With the war in Vietnam, the Kennedy assassination, and a shift in musical taste with the public, Bobby must learn how to make a success of his failing marriage, deal with newfound realizations as to his parentage, and make it back on the charts after a lengthy absence, with the help of his family. Attempting to do this movie justice in a review is difficult, because it's not filmed like your ordinary biopic. The movie flips back and forth between the perspective of the adult and child main character, playing it out in parts as though it was being directed as its own biopic. Confused yet? I certainly was.

Following the main plot was not a problem, but attempting to figure out whether this was reality or fantasy was something of an issue. It's part musical (the cast dance and sing on many occasions), part drama, and part angst. The best thing about the film is its leading actor. Spacey is a genius in this; his passion for the role and devotion to making an impact on his audience head up a strong supporting cast. It was also surprised with Bosworth. True, she doesn't seem much like Sandra Dee at times, but she shines so brightly at times that she almost steals the movie. The major downfall for me was the amount of foul language. There were two audible f-words, along with multiple uses of "frigging," more uses of GD than I could count, and a lot of general profanities and occasional obscenities. It made it kind of difficult to really get into the movie and feel their emotions, because I was constantly distracted by the spewing of non-classy dialogue. There isn't much violence, apart from a fit Bobby has, employing him to use a golf club to smash the headlights of his car after an argument with Sandra. There's no outright sexual content, but one flirtatious scene between a married couple that involves him laying on top of her on bed. Sandra is afraid on their wedding night, and Bobby vows not to touch her, resting a sword between them like a knight of old.

Despite being an egotist, I liked Bobby. He was mostly a gentleman and his relationship with Sandra Dee was quite remarkable. It constantly shifted between adoration and frustration, as two successful people attempted to find their way together in the world. But the biopic only goes so far, and does not show the later years of their lives -- when Sandra dealt with anorexia after their divorce, or Bobby's remarriage. It does its best to imply something of a happily ever after, which isn't the true story, but good enough for the movies.