Little Voice (1998)

Such an incredible movie.LV (Jane Horrocks) is probably on the autism spectrum, a young woman who practically lives in her room listening to old records. From the front of the building, we can see her father owned a record shop. He is deceased, and his photo hangs on her wall. At night sometimes she puts on one of her records and sings to his photo. Her favorites are his - Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey, and Marilyn Monroe. And it seems she can impersonate all of them.Part of the reason LV (LV stands for Little Voice) stays in her room with the sound cranked up is to blot out her loud mother Mari (Brenda Blethyn), a woman who spends all of her time dressing cheaply and going to the local bar. When the telephone is put in at their house, LV meets Billy, the main telephone man's assistant. Billy is shy and devoted to his homing pigeons, and he takes a shine to LV, even coming back to visit her later.One night Mari picks up Ray Say, an agent for burlesque acts. He hears LV singing and realizes she has a phenomenal voice - something apparently her self-absorbed mother never noticed. Ray thinks he can make her a star. Her first attempt doesn't work out due to her shyness but he talks her into trying again. He bets everything on her, selling his meager possessions and setting her up in a show at his friend Boo's (Jim Broadbent) club. LV knocks 'em dead after seeing her father's ghost in the audience. But then Ray wants her to perform again the next night, and he invites a big agent. This starts off as a somewhat light film, in spite of the fact that LV's mother is such a horrible human being. However, the film turns into something else, terrifying and uplifting at the same time.I can't say enough about the performances. Jane Horrocks is best known for being the secretary on AbFab - she is such a wonderful actress, singer, and impersonator, she'll knock your socks off. Michael Caine reminded me a bit of Olivier in "The Entertainer" - third rate, seedy, but with plenty of anger and emotion inside. Brenda Blethyn - well, she's fantastic - a beautiful woman who can look and act like a total slut, be a sweet, lovely woman, or the tough detective Vera. Here, with her short skirts, booze, and cigarettes, she creates an unforgettable character.Ewan McGregor is adorable, so much like LV - a loner with an obsessive hobby, badly treated by his boss just as LV is by her mother. You root for them the whole time and long for both of them to be free, like Billy's birds.A very, very powerful ending - don't miss this.

I was surprised at how much I liked Little Voice. It looks beautiful, with the photography striking and the scenery, lighting, costumes and locations equally so. The script has its funny and touching moments, and I liked how the story had sweet and subtle Cinderella-like undertones. The pace is also just fine, and Herman's direction compliments the film's strengths very well.In fact, my only complaints with Little Voice are its length, I feel it is too short, and sometimes in the film the working-class life is depicted a little too crudely.The acting is the film's biggest pro. Jane Horrocks is simply brilliant in the lead role, and she gets fantastic support from Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent and especially Michael Caine. Ewan McGregor is also very good and charming.In conclusion, an impressive little film made especially watchable by the big talent on show. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I didn't really want to see this film in the first place - that's why it's taken 8 years . You need to be in the right frame of mind to appreciate many films, otherwise they just don't "click". But it was quid pro quo for the crappy sci-fi and horror and offbeat "arty-type" films I like to watch occasionally. From all I'd heard about the singing, I thought this film was going to be a musical. So when I realised this wasn't a musical, had Jane Horrocks, Michael Cane and Jim Broadbent in it, I thought it couldn't be all bad. The film seems to have been accepted as a real peach. Sadly it's not, but instead more of a curates egg - good in parts. The singing is good - but not exceptional enough to carry the film on it's own. Michael Cane puts in a very classy performance, and Jane Horrocks certainly does a job with the lines she was given. Jim Broadbent has a marginal, but significant role. Ewan McGregor, does OK with his 5 minutes but his character's involvement after the first 10 minutes seems to be a bit of an afterthought. Annette Badland, is a really excellent actress with a wide range(Archers and Dr Who fans will know this), and was wasted on this part, though she plays it well. Brenda Blethyn must have been told "play an actress who is hamming up a performance as a busty irritating Hilda Ogden on speed". If so, she did a very good job. Somehow it just felt as if they had rehearsed their roles separately, and the director has then taken the first cut on every shoot to get it over with as quickly as possible. Even though I wasn't expecting much from this, it feels like this film could have been so much better than it turned out to be. All in all not a bad film, but somehow it's much less good than the sum of the performances - frustratingly disappointing.

One day the people of the north of England are going to rebel against consistently being portrayed as blowsy overbearing foul mouthed women and boozy overweight violent blokes with the intrapersonal skills of a warthog with piles and severe halitosis.I sincerely believe this despite having watched countless movies in which the main characters are exactly as I have described them including "Little Voice" which is but one of the more recent.The seedy nightclub owner,the seedy agent,the seedy seaside town - there's more seed in this movie than in the parrot house in London zoo.Mr Michael Caine is the token Southerner,seedy as all get out and representing the parasitic Londoners leeching off the talent of the North,lover of LV's mum - a none - -too - subtle performance by Miss Brenda Blethyn.Mr Jim Broadbent,desperation showing in his eyes,goes through the movie looking as if someone has told him some distressing news about his ferret.Mr Ewan McGregor - despite a cute balcony scene played on a rising platform - fails to convince as LV's ardent swain.Miss Jane Horrocks is a clever mimic.This attribute,unfortunately,is not enough to carry her through a full-length movie.Many years ago a friend of my late father's would,when sufficiently drunk,do a pretty good imitation of Anne Zeigler and Webster Booth.Regardless of how much India Pale Ale he had consumed he had the sense to realise that 60 seconds was long enough to employ his one trick."Leave 'em begging for more",he used to say.If only "Little Voice"had exhibited such restraint.