Kevin Spacey is one of the most interesting actors alive. He can be oily and disgusting, or he can be smooth and suave, and
the two are only inches apart. His performance in "Seven" isn't all that different from the one in "Beyond the Sea," really; it's the same soft, distinctive voice, the same smile. All that separates his good characters from his evil ones are whether he infuses his delivery with charm or malice, and whether that smile seems sincere or sinister. Either way, he's fascinating to watch. "Beyond the Sea" is Spacey's second time in the director's chair (after 1996's little-seen "Albino Alligator"), and it is clearly a labor of love for him. Directing the life story of crooner Bobby Darin with himself in the lead, Spacey has put his considerable talents to good use on both sides of the camera. The film is as smooth as Darin himself, slickly produced and well-paced, and it also happens to be stuffed with some fantastic music. The film tells Darin's story somewhat metaphorically, punctuated with big song-and-dance numbers -- glossy, brightly colored spectacles, all of them, with backup dancers and such -- that obviously didn't really happen. Throughout the film, the adult Bobby talks to his younger self (played by an astute little fellow named William Ullrich), getting insight from him into his own psyche -- or is it Spacey getting tips on how to play Darin? And then there's the fact that Spacey is 45, which is eight years older than Darin was when he died, yet plays him from age 20 on up.
To read the rest of this review, click on the relevant link below.