Little Voice (1998)

(3 1/2 stars) Caine and Horrocks are fantastic

Just rented this from Netflix. You can read many of the other reviews for a plot summary.

Three stars -- "it's OK", Four Stars -- "I like it". Well I didn't like *all* of it, so three and a half but round up to four because of a couple of things.

The first is obvious. Jane Horrock's singing was a wonder to behold.

The second is Michael Caine's performance. He has been a favorite of mine for a long time (Alfie, Ipcress File) and I am still amazed by his abilities. From comedy (see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) to drama (most of his work) to a mix (see The Man Who Would Be King) he really puts life into a character. In Little Voice he once again does a fine job, but the highlight for me was his rendition of Roy Orbison's "It's Over". Although from a technical perspective not as skillful as Horrock's singing it was equally, or more, effective in expressing his character's emotions. It was this performance that prompted me to go to the trouble of writing this review.

In a review of The Man Who Would Be King, someone said of Caine (and also of Sean Connery) "movie stars who are also great actors -- of which there ain't many." (And then there is George Hamilton who, when asked how it felt to be a famous actor, replied in a huff "I'm not an actor -- I'm a movie star!" But I digress.)

Michael Caine trivia: A quote from IMDB: "First of all, I choose the great roles, and if none of these come, I choose the mediocre ones, and if they don't come, I choose the ones that pay the rent." I had a glimpse of this in 1978 on the Johnny Carson show. Caine was on to push his latest movie, The Swarm (a lousy 3.8 on IMDB's "User Rating"). When Carson threw Caine a softball question to allow him to start hyping the movie, Caine's response was that no one should bother seeing it; it was a terrible movie and he only did it because he needed the money for a down payment on a house. (I always wondered what Warner Brothers reaction was to this.) Maybe that honesty helps make him a great actor suitable for the great roles. At the least, it shows respect for his fans.

January 4, 2009

Sing for Survival

"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)
November 11, 2007

A wonderful surprise!

Horrocks 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. September 23, 2007

Real Little

Annoying 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. February 2, 2007

A Must Have in Any DVD Collection

Jane Horrocks gives an incomprable performance and gives most of us a glimpes of her amazing vocal and acting tallents January 12, 2007

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