HBO’s Behind the Candelabra is the well-worn story of a rich older guy and his pretty young thing – except the rich older guy is Liberace. Michael Douglas (of all people) completely inhabits the character of Liberace, nailing his every mannerism of speech and gesture and delving deeply into his ego, neediness, self-absorption and genius for showmanship. Matt Damon (of all people) enthusiastically and skillfully plays Scott Thorson, Liberace’s boy toy of the late 1970s.
We have all seen the arc of this story before, with the relationship doomed by the power imbalance between the lovers. Of course, this is the story of a celebrity who was tightly closeted while he was intentionally projecting the persona of a flaming queen. And because Liberace was the Emperor of Excess, we don’t get often a chance to witness such extravagance (except for historical movies about Louis’ Versailles, Cleopatra’s Egypt, etc.).
Steven Soderbergh directed Behind the Candelabra in the smart and economical way he uses to elevate genre films like Side Effects, Haywire and Magic Mike. Rob Lowe is hilarious as a 70s Dr. Feelgood plastic surgeon to the stars.
There’s not that much to Behind the Candelabra, but it is entertaining. If you were missing Liberace, Michael Douglas definitely brings him back to life.