Tickling the Ivories

So what about the film, Behind the Candelabra? Pathetic that it was deemed dead box office by the homophobic US distributors who dare not handle it, commendable that HBO made it. Six Feet Under, True Blood, now this.  HBO stands for Honest, Bold and Original.  A roster of top stars and a hilarious performance by Rob Lowe as the wax faced plastic surgeon - the acting pedigree alone made it a must see. Matt Damon gave the finest performance, a subtle and moving portrayal of the innocent boy in love with a monster, the disintegrating lover, ravaged by drugs and jealousy, ripped apart by and manipulated by Liberace.  Constructed in his image and then demolished and destroyed by Liberace's conveyor belt approach to the men he desired, the old one obsolete.  Dorian Gray in all its horror! The make up and costumes and set deserve a special mention - amazing.  The Great Gatsby without the daft intellectual pretence.  It was candyfloss camp. Great to see the subjects of lust and power and gay life in the seventies and eighties in your face - the the lurid, erotic, egotistical games seen through a diamond encrusted magnifying glass. There were moments of dread when I recognised behaviour that I have been guilty of. It will join La Cage aux Folles as a Gay classic to be groaned at on a lazy Sunday night with a  few friends and many glasses of Merlot. Even the hard-bitten gay man watching it may have said was it really like that? OMFG! I'm going straight. Lol.