Writer: Lorraine Tan

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Watch this if you liked: "Walk The Line", "Ray" and "Brokeback Mountain"

"Behind The Candelabra" tells the story of the star Liberace and his gay boyfriend during the last 10 years of his life. It is based on his boyfriend, Scott Thorson's memoir, "Behind The Candelabra: My Life With Liberace". Michael Douglas stars as Liberace and Matt Damon as Scott Thorson.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this shows a realistic portrayal of a lifestyle steeped in glamour, fame and sin that Liberace led as a piano player in Las Vegas.

Michael Douglas is possibly the best candidate to act as Liberace as the actor himself has struggled similar issues like sex addiction and cancer. The way he portrayed Liberace, from his voice to his actions to the way he entertained the crowd pays justice to the real Liberace. One of the highlights from the film was he playing Liberace's famous "Boogie Woogie" in the concert hall.

Matt Damon's as Scott Thorson is fairly unexpected, as he used to esay manly roles in action films, and now, a gay lover. His character had to undergo massive cosmetic surgery to depict Scott in different stages of his life when he was together with Liberace, and different prosthetics made sure Matt Damon looked the part.

The set design is extravagant and really gives the audience a sense of Liberace's flamboyance. Costumes worn by Douglas were adorned with rhinestones and exotic furs, his fingers had huge diamond and gold rings, and of course, the grand pianos were decorated with crystals.

This film gives us a glimpse of the gay lifestyle and issues they struggle with. If you are a genuine Liberace fan, this film is not for you as it is not a true depiction of his life but a focus on his illicit relationship with Scott Thorson.

Cinema Online, 19 August 2013