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Little Voice [Region 2] by Mark Herman
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DVD detailsActor: Annette Badland, Brenda Blethyn, Ewan McGregor, Jane Horrocks, Philip Jackson (II) Director: Mark Herman DVD: Region Code 2 Audio: English (Original Language) Format: PAL Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
DVD Reviews of Little Voice [Region 2]DVD Review: Sing for Survival Summary: 4 Stars"I sometimes think that the movies are the last sanctuary for the miraculous in a world otherwise lost to the spirit of cynicism. That's certainly the appeal of the absolutely fabulous "Little Voice," which is a kind of litany of the miraculous." Stephen Hunter
There are several voices in this movie. The first voice is from Laura aka 'Little Voice' Jane Horrocks. She is caught in her own world after her father has died. Her mother, the second voice, Mari, Brenda Blethyn, has ignored her most of the time and brought her up in a world of emotional abuse. 'Little Voice' uses the real voice she has to escape her world. She listens to records all day and watches musical shows on television. Laura and her father, who owned a used record store, would listen to the great singers, Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey, and Marlene Dietrich. One of her mother's latest boyfriends, Michael Caine, comes to visit and hears Little Voice sing, and he sees fame, fortune and his destiny. This is the role of lifetime for Michael Caine and he more than lives up to it. How this movie escaped a more public view is beyond me. He talks Little Voice into a very public concert for her father. This is the highlight of the movie. The movie was made in part to showcase the singing of Jane Horrocks, and she is marvelous. The movie has a romantic interest for Laura and Ewen Mcgregor fills this role very satisfactorily. Little Voice sings her heart out and finds a voice to face her life. This is a movie that combines terrific acting, singing and a tried but true storyline.
"Little Voice" may be more of a confection than a square meal, but it's proof of how good a dish can be when the ingredients are of the highest order." Michael Osullivan
An old fashioned movie that covers the bases. Highly entertaining.
Recommended. prisrob 11-11-07
Children of Men (Widescreen Edition)
DVD Review: A wonderful surprise! Summary: 5 StarsHorrocks is a wonder! Why isn't she famous here in America? I hope her amazing talent is appreciated in the UK.
In many ways this movie reminded me of old-fashioned musical romances - but with many modern twists keeping it from being predictable. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.
DVD Review: Real Little Summary: 2 StarsAnnoying people doing annoying little desperate things is this one. A little light hearted, but mostly the villian, Michael Caine, a talent agent of little worth, makes Little Voice a local star for a little while, till she breaks away from her loudmouth mummy and has a little romance. I watched this with three people and one fell asleep by the little ending.
DVD Review: A Must Have in Any DVD Collection Summary: 5 StarsJane Horrocks gives an incomprable performance and gives most of us a glimpes of her amazing vocal and acting tallents
DVD Review: Gigantic talent Summary: 5 Stars4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.
Jane Horrocks, who played numerous characters in the cult English sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous", shines here as a sorrowfully shy girl with a talent beyond belief.
After her father died, many years ago, she resigned herself to listening to his old records, and singing along with them. She soon became a virtuoso, capable of imitating Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, and others. In equally brilliant performances, Michael Caine and Brenda Blethyn (Pride and Prejudice) the former wants to bring LV's talent to the world, certain that great riches are but a step away. Brenda (LV's mom) is at first completely oblivious to her daughters talent, as she is far too egocentric to notice anything or anyone but herself - unless it's a man. In that case, she's quite the player.
There is a somewhat interesting - although perhaps unnecessary - love interest between LV and Billy (Ewan McGregor). It seems to serve as helping LV to open up to the world, but there are so many things/occurrences that can happen to a person that incite change that I'm a little fed up with movies taking the easy way out with a love interest. AND, there was such an occurrence in the film itself. Still, Ewan plays his part well, and while his interest in LV is a bit difficult to understand, it's not entirely unbelievable.
What IS unbelievable is Jane Horrocks's amazing voice. You'd think that the filmmakers would have her lip synch while either a recording of Judy Garland, or someone who could imitate her, was singing. But they didn't need to do so. Horrocks did so herself. She imitated all of the artist's brilliantly, and nearly perfectly.
It was easy to see, after this performance, what a remarkably gifted actress she is. The characters she played on "AbFab" were hysterical and widely variant, though she is best known as the mentally challenged Bubble.
Description of Little Voice [Region 2]Michael Caine was robbed of an Oscar. He gives his finest performance in a decade as big-talking small-time agent Ray Say, a paunchy, pale life of the party hiding his desperation under gold chains and cool bravura. When he hears the almost magical voice of Jane Horrocks's meek little LV (short for Little Voice) fill her bedroom with the rich voice of Judy Garland, he sees his ticket to the big time. Little Voice is ostensibly LV's story, and in fact the original play was written for Horrocks, whose amazing vocal impressions of Garland, Shirley Bassey, and Marilyn Monroe (among others) form the centerpiece performance of the film. But as directed by Mark Herman (Brassed Off), the story of this mousy girl who shuts herself in from a bellowing world is just as overwhelmed by the bombastic characters as LV herself. Brenda Blethyn babbles a blue streak as LV's overbearing mother, Mari, an aging widow who escapes her unhappiness in carousing and becomes almost pathologically jealous when Ray's attentions turn from her to LV. As Ray puts his dreams on the line for LV's showcase, he reveals his true self: a venal man who spits and barks out his bottled-up anger in an astoundingly bile-filled delivery of Roy Orbison's "It's Over." The showstopping moment once again overwhelms LV's tale, but Caine's performance is so astounding it seems a fair trade. --Sean Axmaker
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