Though most of its events take place just three decades ago, Behind the Candelabra often feels as much of a period piece as Jane Austen or William Shakespeare. For those in my generation, Liberace is known as an immensely influential piano player who also happened to be gay.
What may not be known to many in my age bracket is that the performer was ferociously protective of his public image. He was successful in lawsuits against publications that insinuated his sexuality was anything but straight. According to Lee (as his friends knew him), he just had never found the right girl.
Behind the Candelabra is based on a book by Scott Thorson, Liberace’s companion and lover from the late seventies to mid-eighties. He is played by Matt Damon in one of the most impressive performances of his career. Liberace is portrayed wonderfully by Michael Douglas. Like Damon, this is a career highlight of a role. Douglas is not only doing an impersonation (and a good one at that), he infuses the role with character traits that Lee himself probably wouldn’t approve of.
As the film portrays it, Liberace was a man who wanted to completely control everything around him. This included not just his public image, but also controlling every aspect of his life that public didn’t see… and that he dared not show them.
His relationship with Scott is a prime example. After Liberace takes him under his feathered wings, he eventually insists on Scott getting plastic surgery to make him in his own image. He also puts Scott on a weight loss program – “the California diet” that consists of taking lots and lots of pills. This is all administered by Lee’s plastic surgeon who definitely practices what he preaches to ridiculous levels. The doc is played in a humorous performance from Rob Lowe. His work on Liberace himself leaves the piano prodigy unable to close his own eyes.
Lee’s control of Scott comes to unravel their once promising, if always slightly off-kilter relationship. It’s never fully determined whether Liberace wanted to be more of a father figure to his younger companion or just another fling (albeit a long one) before he tosses Scott aside for a younger model.
The last chapters of the picture focus on the disintegration of their union, which includes Scott’s growing cocaine addiction. This may all be based on fact, but it can’t help but have a been there, seen that effect on the viewer.
Where Candelabra succeeds best is its sense of time and place. Steven Soderbergh is always adept at providing a visual feast and his visualization of Vegas in this era is a treat. The pic is also littered with solid supporting players, from Dan Aykroyd at Lee’s fiercely protective agent to Debbie Reynolds as Lee’s mother, whose relationship with her son was complicated, even if the screenplay doesn’t delve into it that much.
Behind the Candelabra works the most as an experience when exploring Liberace’s fear and demons with his own sexuality. His unwillingness to come out is portrayed as an obvious choice and something he would dare not do. The fact that this was happening just three decades ago shows us how things have changed. Here’s a man who went out of his way to control everything, except he couldn’t ultimately control his own identity. After after his death, his manager goes out of his way to push a story that Lee died of heart failure and not of the real cause of death, the AIDS virus.
The release of Candelabra may ultimately show that things haven’t changed as much as we might think, however. It’s got an A-list director and A-list stars, but still couldn’t strike a deal for theatrical distribution due to its subject matter. HBO snapped up the rights and will likely be rewarded for it with high viewership. Had Candelabra been released theatrically, I wouldn’t be surprised if both Douglas and Damon had received Oscar nominations. The Emmys and the Golden Globes will probably take notice.
Parts of Behind the Candelabra might feel familiar, but the performances and occasional boldness of the story make it worthwhile.
*** (out of four)
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