Last night I watched the HBO movie, Behind the Candelabra starring Micheal Douglas as Liberace and Matt Damon as his lover.
I tend not to be crazy about biopics, and this one didn't over wow me. But I did think the close study of the relationship was very sensitively portrayed. Michael Douglas was terrific as the eccentric but warm and needy performer, who only had a few (significant) bursts of power plays over his kept lover, Scott. Matt Damon was good too. But the eventual demise of their relationship was all too predictable and un-nuanced. Ultimately unmoving.
I thought the portrayal of a gay relationship was handled candidly, honestly, and sensitively. But I thought the larger context of the culture's intolerance of homosexuality was missing. There were a few key moments where the closet was brought up, but basically the movie was too insular, depicting their relationship in a vacuum of acceptance and tolerance that doesn't speak to the homophobia of the times
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For more info on the upsetting life Scott lead after the movie ended: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/12/fashion/scott-thorson-the-boy-toys-story.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
the homophobia wasn't relevant to the story, in my opinion--it was another side of a brilliant performer, who casually picked up and dropped lovers, in a cloud of open secrecy so to speak--as liberace said 'i cried --all the way to the bank'--i would have liked btw more of his amazing piano playing--- poor scott anyway had the last word--much like in mommie dearest--he should be making some money out of this memoir!
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