Kevin Spacey is an outstanding actor. He is also an exceptionally gifted director. As witness this biography, anything but starchy, of singer- actor Bobby Darin. Titled 'Beyond the Sea' after one of Bobby's hits, this work of art (the word is not too strong!) is not only interpreted by the star of 'Usual Suspects ', it is also sung and danced by Mr. Spacey in the style of his model and practically as well as Bobby Darin himself, as well as co-written (in cooperation with James Toback and Lewis Colick) and, as I put it before, directed – masterfully - by him. This second (and unfortunately last to-date) directorial achievement (after the already amazing « Albino Alligator ») is really breathtaking. Supposing Spacey had only managed to make a good standard biopic, he would already have been entitled to respect, for few are those who are able to juggle so many talents (playing, singing, dancing, writing & directing). But "Beyond the Sea" deserves not only respect but admiration, since besides being technically flawless, it constantly surprises by its imaginative, stimulating non-linear form. Refusing to tell the story of a life from a (the birth of the character) to z (his death), Spacey, allowing himself bold temporal round trips, literally travels through it. I think for example, of the sequences where grown up Darin dialogs with a boy who is none other than the young himself. Quite an offbeat way of entering the mystery of a man (not unlike « All That Jazz », Bob Fosse's masterpiece)... Which does not prevent Spacey from articulating the story of a true artist passing through the different stages of his life (his youth, the first bouts of rheumatic fever, his rise to success after the triumph of 'Splish Splash', his rough marriage with Sandra Dee, his more or less satisfying film career and his death hastened by bad health). All in all, what actually makes the difference with a merely illustrative biopic is how the director manages to bring extra soul to a life story which, although interesting in itself, would not have sufficed to make 'Beyond the Sea' the masterpiece it is.

....and as you can see by the low 2 out of 10, well, it was not at all my 'bag'.However, there is clearly an audience for this kind of post modern musical biopic. Some of you, like me, are not this audience - so if this is the case: Avoid.I genuinely admire Kevin Spacey, but for me this screams: 'Vanity Project'.What you get:Clever dick post modern stuff. The opening scene is Kevin Spacey playing Bobby Darin on stage, who is playing himself in a film biopic. Yep. One of those.Brenda Blethyn - overacting to blazes doing her Noo Joiysee shtick. Bob Hoskins, an actor I genuinely love, again being made to over act in an American film. Long musical numbers - Kevin minces it up with the best of them. Bless 'im. He is clearly enjoying himself immensely. Unfortunately, I really REALLY did not enjoy myself watching him enjoying himself. You will press the fast forward button - A LOT.I know it is deliberate (the 'calling attention to it's own artifice' of post modernity), but the entire 'stagey' stuff just leaves me colder than a day walking down Southend Pier in February.If this is your thing - watch and enjoy. Clearly, judging by the reviews here, a lot of people DO like this stuff.If it isn't - Move away Ladies and Gentlemen, ain't nothing to see here. Quite awful actually.

First off, I'm a fan of Kevin Spacey. I've watched several movies with him in them and I'd say he's one of the better actors of our times and generally chooses decent scripts. I'd even go as far to say I've enjoyed watching all the films he has been in - until this one. He comes across as creepy, trying to play a young, energetic singer being carried away on a tide of newfound stardom and having cheated death. Spacey's attempts at being young are, frankly, embarrassing. He wafts his hands around, skips, contorts his face to try to look optimistic and generally makes a complete fool of himself. Towards the end of the film he seems more natural; although he's still playing someone at least a decade younger than his age, he can act. He does bitter, down-trodden, negative and calculating parts very well. I didn't realise, though, that his acting abilities were quite so limited. Unless he did a bad job here on purpose?Although I'm not a fan of Darin, I do hope someone does as bad a job of honoring Spacey after he has gone. Some say you have to respect Spacey for doing something completely original and imaginative to tell the story, but it's supposed to be a tribute to a talented performer who lived under a cloud most of his life and died at a young age. A little more sensitivity should've been used.

This film is the biopic of the life of Bobby Darrin.The film looks like a play or certainly comes across like that,when I was watching it.The film stars Bobby Darrin,directed by Kevin Spacey so you can admire him or not,depending on your point of viewed the film.The story is told using a younger Bobby Darrin acting as a guide to the older bobby,in my opinion not a very wise move.The movie seems remarkably old fashioned,with music and dance numbers all over the place.The music is good to listen to,particularly the night club sequences.Kevin Spacey is far too old for the main role,however he does his best,given good support from John Goodman and Bob Hoskins.Bobby Darrin never seemed that bigger star to me,to deserve a bio pic.The film covers the early part of his career very well,then his career stalls,and Bobby comes back as a protest singer,eventually accepted by the public at the height of the Vietnam war.Bobbys domestic life is well covered,his marriage was rocky at times but they seem to stick together.A film that fails top deliver as whole,but has the good odd moment in short a film for Bobby Darrins fans only.