"Behind the Candelabra" (2013)

My late mother would always make snide remarks about Liberace.  She would refer to the late pianist as "funny", and Ma didn't mean humorous.  This made-for-cable movie addresses what many probably already knew:  that Liberace (Michael Douglas) was gay.  It covers a relationship the pianist had with Scott Thorsen (Matt Damon).

Thorsen is introduced to Liberace by Bob Black (Scott Bakula) after one of the pianist's concerts.  The man who drives Liberace onstage in a Rolls Royce is not happy, and he has good reason for that.  It isn't long before that man is moving out of Liberace's house, and Thorsen is moved in.  Liberace's houseboy is also sent packing after he tells Thorsen that Liberace will eventually grow tired of Thorsen.

Liberace spoils Thorsen with everything money can buy.  Thorsen is even talked into getting plastic surgery to look like Liberace.  There's talk of Liberace adopting Thorsen, and the young man is placed in his will.  Thorsen is satisfied until things become so comfortable that it feels more like a prison.  Liberace begins to accuse Thorsen of not being grateful for what has been done for him.  It does not help matters when Thorsen begins to use drugs behind the plastic surgery.  The relationship begins to fall apart.

Liberace is shown as a man loved by audiences but trapped by his private lifestyle.  His manager, Seymour Heller (Dan Ackroyd) knows the pianist's secret, and is devoted to hiding it behind a carefully planned public image.  Thorsen doesn't appear to be an opportunist here, but a wide-eyed young man swept up into a glamorous lifestyle without considering what was behind the curtain.  I liked how Douglas played Liberace, using the man's speech patterns and flamboyance without it being a usual stereotype or mocking him.

Michael Douglas is the son of actor Kirk Douglas.  Mr. Douglas won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for his performance in Wall Street (1987).  Matt Damon co-wrote Good Will Hunting (1997) with his friend Ben Affleck; they won an Oscar for the screenplay.   Debbie Reynolds plays Liberace's mother; I didn't know it was her until I read the credits.  She was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964).  Dan Ackroyd was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Driving Miss Daisy (1989).

True Grit (2010)

Fourteen year old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), determined to avenge her dad's demise, decides that Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) is the perfect lawman to hunt down her dad's killer.  Cogburn, an ornery sort who's interpretation of the law is suspect, doesn't want to work for the girl, nor take her along for the hunt.    She intends to catch up with the murderer, a petty criminal named Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), and put the "eye for an eye" rule into effect.  LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), a Texas Ranger is also on Chaney's trail.  He and Cogburn disagree on how to conduct the search, and LaBoeuf doesn't want Mattie tagging along either.  However, Mattie is articulate, focused, determined, and not one to take no for an answer.  The men have no choice but to take her along.

This version is a little more closer to the tone of the book of the same name than the original version of the film (1969) starring John Wayne.  Bridges' version of Cogburn is much more rougher than Wayne's interpretation of the character.  There is a lot of humor, especially in scenes where Mattie is out-talking people in her quest to get justice for her late dad.  The look of the film is rich in detail; it feels like what the Old West probably was -- dusty, hard, and dangerous.  There is also a nice wrap up at the end of the story featuring a middle aged Mattie (Elizabeth Marvel). 

The Coen brothers, who are known for more quirky and twisted fare such as Fargo (1996), directed this movie.  Mr. Bridges won a Best Actor Oscar for his work in Crazy Heart (2009).  Josh Brolin was a crooked cop in American Gangster (2007).  Matt Damon won a Best Screenplay Oscar (along with Ben Affleck) for Good Will Hunting (1997).