Behind the Candelabra

TV-MA

2013

1 hr. 58 min.

Drama

Biography

Romance

LGBTQ+

List

94%

108 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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Premiered Jul 18

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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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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

Shioka O

I think this is one of the best performance by Michael Douglas. This was really easy to watch for this type of biopic. The focus is of course not about music. Could be a little bit disgusting yet glueing.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/19/22

Full Review

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Steven Soderbergh

Director

Michael Douglas

Liberace

Matt Damon

Scott Thorson

Dan Aykroyd

Seymour Heller

Scott Bakula

Bob Black

Rob Lowe

Dr. Jack Startz

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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

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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
Executive Producer: Jerry Weintraub
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

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