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HBO Films
What it's about:
Before Elvis, before Elton John, Madonna and Lady Gaga, there was Liberace: virtuoso pianist, outrageous entertainer and flamboyant star of stage and television. A name synonymous with showmanship, extravagance and candelabras, he was a world-renowned performer with a flair that endeared him to his audiences and created a loyal fan base spanning his 40-year career.
Liberace lived lavishly and embraced a lifestyle of excess both on and off stage. In Summer, 1977, handsome young stranger Scott Thorson walked into his dressing room and, despite their age difference and seemingly different worlds, the two embarked on a secretive five-year love affair.
The film takes a behind-the-scenes look at their tempestuous relationship—from their first meeting backstage at the Las Vegas Hilton to their acrimonious public breakup.
What critics said:
"Buffed to a typical HBO high gloss, Candelabra is a visual feast. It shines brightest in those moments where it captures the rhythms of a relationship in its first blush of affection and its seemingly inevitable collapse."
- Robert Bianco, USA Today
"The stunning and quite intimate performances by Michael Douglas and Matt Damon are award-worthy."
- Joanne Ostrow, Denver Post
"In the hands of a lesser filmmaker, this is a project that might have gone terribly wrong, but ranking high on the entertainment meter, it smacks of authenticity, has pizzazz, humour, poignancy and above all, heart."
- Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile
"Soderbergh and LaGravenese go deep beneath this voyeuristic fascination with wealth, fame, and the secret lives of celebrities."
- Noel Murray, The Dissolve
Before Elvis, before Elton John, Madonna and Lady Gaga, there was Liberace: virtuoso pianist, outrageous entertainer and flamboyant star of stage and television. A name synonymous with showmanship, extravagance and candelabras, he was a world-renowned performer with a flair that endeared him to his audiences and created a loyal fan base spanning his 40-year career.
Liberace lived lavishly and embraced a lifestyle of excess both on and off stage. In Summer, 1977, handsome young stranger Scott Thorson walked into his dressing room and, despite their age difference and seemingly different worlds, the two embarked on a secretive five-year love affair.
The film takes a behind-the-scenes look at their tempestuous relationship—from their first meeting backstage at the Las Vegas Hilton to their acrimonious public breakup.
What critics said:
"Buffed to a typical HBO high gloss, Candelabra is a visual feast. It shines brightest in those moments where it captures the rhythms of a relationship in its first blush of affection and its seemingly inevitable collapse."
- Robert Bianco, USA Today
"The stunning and quite intimate performances by Michael Douglas and Matt Damon are award-worthy."
- Joanne Ostrow, Denver Post
"In the hands of a lesser filmmaker, this is a project that might have gone terribly wrong, but ranking high on the entertainment meter, it smacks of authenticity, has pizzazz, humour, poignancy and above all, heart."
- Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile
"Soderbergh and LaGravenese go deep beneath this voyeuristic fascination with wealth, fame, and the secret lives of celebrities."
- Noel Murray, The Dissolve
