# Little Voice (1998)

### reviewed by
Luke Buckmaster

LITTLE VOICE Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Jane Horrocks, Michael Caine, Jim Broadbent, Ewan McGregor, Annette Badland, Philip Jackson Director: Mark Herman Screenplay: Mark Herman based on the play "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice" by Jim Cartwright Running time: 96 minutes Australian theatrical release: January 14, 1999 Reviewed by Luke Buckmaster

On the Buckmaster scale of 0 stars (bomb), to 5 stars (a masterpiece): 3 and a half stars

If taken in its most simplistic form, Little Voice examines the life surrounding an incredible singer who wishes to keep her talents to herself, with diversions along the way. But if you can swallow what director Mark Herman (Brassed Off) squashes into the package, Little Voice suddenly becomes much more. No longer is it just about a woman with a unique gift; it is about an innocent soul surrounded by a world full of greed and selfishness. In the last half of the film Herman changes its tone into something much darker, and Little Voice advances from passable entertainment to wild and uncouth insights into characters and life.

Mark Herman adapted the screenplay of Little Voice from Jim Cartwright's play, and that shows because the film is melodramatic and relies heavily on strong performances. Fortunately, the three or four key characters have talented actors bringing them to life. Michael Caine is the best of the lot, delivering a show stopping performance in a difficult part. In the hardest and most important role, Jane Horrocks proves she is better as a singer/impersonator than she is as an actor, but is good enough to handle the pressure when so many others would have bombed out. A couple of other fine performances from Brenda Blethyn and Ewan McGregor make Little Voice a good example of a simplistic story given meaning by its performances. In comparison to the many other screenplays that are smarter, more meaningful and more accessible, Little Voice probably shouldn't have been the very good film that it is.

LV (Jana Horrocks) is a shy and reserved woman with a troubled past. After the death of her much loved father LV has lived with her loud, vulgar mother Mari Hoff (Brenda Blethyn). LV finds a sanctuary from the crazy world around her in a collection of old records, featuring Billie Holiday, Shirley Bassey, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Marlena Dietrich, and others. She has an extraordinary talent for impersonating these artists, and when Mari's sex partner Ray Say (Michael Caine) hears her singing, he sees dollar signs. But much to Say's horror, LV does not want to become the star he wishes her to be.

It is always a hard task to portray socially inept characters without allowing them to appear as freaks. The fundamental attraction of 1997's As Good as it Gets was Jack Nicholson's portrayal of one of societie's oddballs, but the attraction to Little Voice lies in its supporting characters. Brenda Blethyn gives an appropriately over the top performance which carries more weight than you might at first presume. She is imperative to the story, serving as a contrast to LV's timid personality. But the true appeal of Little Voice is Michael Caine, who caught my eye as an expert performer ever since he purposely made The World's Great Detective look like The World's Greatest Idiot in 1988's Without a Clue. Caine is a definite scene-stealer, and is fortunate enough to star in the best moment of Little Voice - a fiery and moving scene in which he recites Roy Orbison's "It's Over."

With so much retrospective appeal, it's surprising that Mark Herman rarely creates scenes of straight entertainment. Instead he pretty much goes nowhere for the first half of Little Voice, prolonging the dramatic scenes until he decides which characters should voice them. The most moving and emotional performance should have been Jana Horrocks', but the film's supporting cast overshadows her with roles that generate more entertainment and interest.

As Little Voice begins to wind up, Herman satisfies his audience by providing enough reason for sitting through his peculiar creation. Although it takes a while to get there, Little Voice eventually reassures us that the strongest people are not always the loudest, and that when one manages to finds happiness there are many others who get lost along the way.

Review © copyright Luke Buckmaster

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