Beyond the Sea

The problem with a labor of love is that it can sometimes turn out more laborious than lovely, and that's certainly the case with this florid biopic on Bobby Darin, which producer-director-writer-star Kevin Spacey had wanted to make for years. Like De-Lovely, the recent film about Cole Porter, Beyond the Sea is constructed as a retrospective biography, in which the pop singer--whose childhood bout with rheumatic fever was supposed to kill him in his teens, but who survived to age 37, building a career as a recording artist, nightclub performer, and actor, as well as marrying Sandra Dee--looks back on the high- and lowlights of his life. Sometimes Darin is shown creating his onstage act as part of a film within a film, while at others he converses with his 10-year-old self; however, although one can admire the almost surrealistic approach, the emotional connection is weak, and especially toward the close the picture grows rushed and episodic. Still, despite the structural flaws, Spacey's performance is eye-catching (and ear-catching, too, since he doesn't lip-sync the songs but warbles them on his own--and very convincingly). A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director/star Kevin Spacey and producer Andy Paterson, a 17-minute “making-of” featurette, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a so-so film.] (F. Swietek)