If Behind the Candelabra truly is Steven Soderbergh’s last film, then he went out in style. This HBO film lives up to all of its outstanding reviews. The directing and cinematography are as lavish as the life of Liberace himself and the writing is superb. The film centers around the strange relationship between an older Liberace and the much younger Scott Thorson with emphasis on the word ‘strange.’ At one point, Liberace wants to get a face lift after seeing a ‘hideous’ version of himself perform on Carson and asks the plastic surgeon played by Rob Lowe to make Scotty look like a younger version of Liberace from a painting he had done (see trailer).
But at its core, this film is about the paranoia, sacrifices and perils of love while being pulled down into the rabbit hole of celebrity life. It is hilarious, touching, exciting, VERY well acted and beautifully shot. HBO has done it again and I expect a new batch of awards coming their way next award season.