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Behind the Candelabra

Play trailer Poster for Behind the Candelabra TV-MA 2013 1h 58m Drama Biography Romance LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 108 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
World-famous pianist Liberace (Michael Douglas) takes much-younger Scott Thorson (Matt Damon) as a lover, but the relationship deteriorates when Liberace takes other bedmates and Thorson becomes addicted to drugs.
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Behind the Candelabra

Behind the Candelabra

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Critics Consensus

Affectionate without sacrificing honesty, Behind the Candelabra couples award-worthy performances from Michael Douglas and Matt Damon with some typically sharp direction from Steven Soderbergh.

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Critics Reviews

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J. Hoberman ARTINFO.com Although Behind the Candelabra may be Soderbergh's swan song, it's an uncanny resurrection of the creature that was Liberace. Feb 22, 2019 Full Review Deborah Ross The Spectator Yes. It is fabulous. No other word for it, unless that word is "glorious." Sep 5, 2018 Full Review Roger Clarke Sight & Sound Douglas brings a preening, nervous energy to a performance that may well prove to be the best of his career... Apr 4, 2018 Full Review Jason Adams My New Plaid Pants Soderbergh seems most intent on normalizing homosexuality itself, and he does that by zooming straight out to the furthest reaches of stereotype and straining for the banal amongst the golden slippers and snarling houseboys Jul 2, 2021 Full Review Niall Browne Movies in Focus Behind The Candelabra isn't Soderbergh's flashiest movie, he plays things very 'straight' visually. There are few cinematic flourishes- he knows that the performances are the focus here and he stands back and shoots things so that you are drawn in. Rated: 4/5 Mar 17, 2021 Full Review Joanne Laurier World Socialist Web Site There is not much in Behind the Candelabra that explains Liberace's immense appeal to wide sections of the population, including Soderbergh himself. Feb 28, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Tyler S Solid watch, nothing crazy but nothing bad. Something about the ending felt anticlimactic. I think Michael Douglas did really well in his portrayal as well. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/27/24 Full Review Test T I watched this on DVD recently. I did not know much about Liberace, except that he was a successful pianist. This biopic attempts to fill in the back story, but in some ways I think I was better off not knowing. The film contains much more homosexuality than anything else, which seems a little one dimensional. Was Liberace really like this, or is it being exaggerated for cinematic spectacle? Either way, it's not exactly wholesome family entertainment, and I did not like most of the film for this reason. I checked on Wikipedia, which gives a more rounded account of Liberace's life. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/27/24 Full Review Everardo C Una película impresionante, que sin desviarse del tema no se enfoca tanto en la controversia que rodeo a liberace y se enfoca más en mostrar los matices del amor Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/02/24 Full Review Jeff M Musical biopics have become the bane of my existence in the last decade or so, but Soderbergh's Liberace film consistently hits all the right notes almost with fail. Perhaps because Lee was such a unique and outrageous personality, it doesn't feel as tried and methodical as so many of the others. And the fact that Soderbergh is one heck of a filmmaker doesn't hurt matters either. Douglas is such inspired casting here, and his performance doesn't disappoint. He deservedly was showered with praise and awards. But I'd like to make special mention of Damon, in a somewhat thankless role as compared to the grandiose main character. Damon is sensational here in probably the more challenging role - certainly the role with the biggest physical and emotional arc. Both Douglas and Damon have wonderful chemistry together. And I would be neglect not to mention a small but hilarious turn from Rob Lowe as a plastic surgeon - this is a career highlight for him. The ending is a bit maudlin for my taste, but that small limitation aside, this is easily one of my favorite biopics in recent years. Adept in both its dramatic and more comical scenes, had this been released theatrically, I think it would have been a major Oscar player. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/24 Full Review Michael M This movie is nothing about his music career at all. This movie is only about his sex life. THATS IT. Totally junk Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/15/24 Full Review PridePosterStudios The director said all major Hollywood studios refused this film because it was “too gay”. Cowards! Liberace should be a third character in ‘Vicious’. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/09/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Behind the Candelabra

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Movie Info

Synopsis World-famous pianist Liberace (Michael Douglas) takes much-younger Scott Thorson (Matt Damon) as a lover, but the relationship deteriorates when Liberace takes other bedmates and Thorson becomes addicted to drugs.
Director
Steven Soderbergh
Producer
Gregory Jacobs, Susan Ekins, Michael Polaire
Screenwriter
Richard LaGravenese
Production Co
Jerry Weintraub Productions, HBO Films
Rating
TV-MA (S|L)
Genre
Drama, Biography, Romance, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Runtime
1h 58m
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