Plot
A musical biopic which depicts the life of singer-actor-star Bobby Darin (Spacey), from his childhood health problems to his success as a swinging pop idol and movie star to his marriage with screen actress Sandra Dee (Bosworth)…
Review
A swinging showcase for the multi-talents of Kevin Spacey, Across The Sea sees the Oscar-winner starring, directing, co-writing, co-producing and – wait for it – crooning. While cynics have complained that he was too old to play the central role (Spacey was 44 at the time of shooting while Darin attained stardom at 22 and died at 37), the movie amusingly addresses this early on and employs a neat framing device to almost side-step such concerns. An obvious labour of love, Spacey’s portrayal – while openly fictional – is respectful, personal and informed (Darin’s son Dodd was involved), yet entertaining, ambitious and occasionally moving. Though audiences may only have a passing familiarity with some of Darin’s hits (like Mack the Knife and titular favourite Beyond The Sea), this spirited tribute should double their appreciation for the man who might well have been the world’s greatest nightclub singer. In truth, not everything pulls together, yet there’s some nice support from Kate Bosworth (yes, Lex Luthor marries Lois Lane), John Goodman and Bob Hoskins.
Verdict
A swinging showcase for the multi-talents of Kevin Spacey, Across The Sea is a respectful, personal and occasionally moving tribute to a great nightclub singer.
