Michael Douglas and Matt Damon tell the story of Liberace at the Cannes film festival with their new movie Behind the Candelabra…along with the story of the AIDS epidemic…with some sex and violence and a WHOLE lotta nudity.
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. BEHIND THE CANDELABRA takes a behind-‐‑the-‐‑scenes look at their tempestuous relationship — from their first meeting backstage at the Las Vegas Hilton to their bitter and public break-‐‑up.
The much-awaited film, starring Michael Douglas as Liberace and Matt Damon as Mr. Thorson, was shown on HBO on Sunday night (and continues its run on that channel and through HBO Go and HBO on Demand). As we were forewarned, not much attention is paid to Liberace the pianist or his attitude toward music. “I love giving people a good time,” Mr. Douglas’s Liberace explains to Mr. Damon’s Thorson soon after they meet. “That’s what I’m all about.”
