Darin to dream

When most people think of Bobby Darin, who died in 1973 at age 37, they think of a saloon singer in the vein of Frank Sinatra.

But Darin, who became a star with Mack the Knife, was so much more. He was an accomplished songwriter and a master of reinvention before most people even knew what that meant.

In his relatively short career, Darin had hits in many genres, shifting effortlessly from rock ‘n’ roll to standards to folk-rock. Although his acting career was not as spectacular, he did garner an Oscar nomination for Captain Newman, M.D. in 1963.

It is Darin’s amazing talent and versatility that director/cowriter/star Kevin Spacey tries to capture and, in that respect, he succeeds admirably. Far more than just a standard biopic, this is a celebration of a life.

Spacey seems to be equally interested in showing the private and public sides of this talented and driven man. Early in the movie, Darin (played by Spacey) passes the legendary New York nightspot Copacabana and declares his intention of playing there one day. Even if this were a fictional film, the intensity in the character’s voice lets you know he means what he is saying.

Although Beyond the Sea is not a musical in the traditional sense, it contains several slam-bang musical numbers. I wasn’t expecting that, even though I knew Bobby Darin could sing and dance, and I think Spacey was counting on that element of surprise. In that respect, Beyond the Sea owes a little to Chicago, which single-handedly revived the musical by boldly traversing the line between reality and fantasy.

Spacey, for whom this movie was a labor of love, shines both on screen and off. The two-time Oscar-winning actor throws himself into the role of Darin so completely, he makes audiences believe he is the singer in the flesh. Spacey also did his own singing, nailing Darin’s versatile voice. As director, he assembled a superb cast, with character actor Caroline Aaron a standout as Bobby’s sister, Nina. Kate Bosworth plays Darin’s equally famous wife, actress Sandra Dee.

Yet for all the movie’s considerable merits, one thing keeps Beyond the Sea from being truly great: Some of the movie’s touching scenes are not as heartfelt as they should be. Perhaps a bit like Spacey himself, the mechanics are there but the warmth seems conspicuous in its absence.

Beyond the Sea
PG-13
Playing now in area theaters
Three reels out of four

Recommended rental

Troy
R
Available Tuesday

The year is 1193 B.C. and Paris, the Prince of Troy (Orlando Bloom), is fatally smitten with Helen, the beautiful queen of Sparta (Diane Kruger). Helen’s husband, the brutish Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson), doesn’t take too kindly to this insult and, along with his brother Agamemnon (Brian Cox), declares war on the city-state of Troy. King Priam (Peter O’Toole) and Paris’ brother, Prince Hector (Eric Bana), give the Greeks a run for their money, but succumb as a result of a clever ruse. A flawed film that didn’t even make back its $180-million budget, it’s still worth a look for history buffs and fans of old Hollywood-style epics.