Human sampler provides five minutes of ecstasy

COURTESY MIRAMAX FILMS Brenda Blethyn speaks softly and carries a big schtick

The York Square Cinema is finally showing a new movie, although you might not realize it at first.

Are the British capable of making films about real people, or is everybody a silly goof over there? Like Waking Ned Devine and The Full Monty, Little Voice features
a bunch of nearly incomprehensible crazies from the British Isles: an al-
coholic sex-crazed mother, her meek, introverted daughter, a pigeon-loving telephone repairman, and a sleazy nightclub talent scout.

From this slate of standard comic characters, Little Voice develops unexpectedly, verges on the sinister, and then approaches pure movie magic, but ends in disappointment. Along the way, three comic talents propel the film through its plot difficulties.

At the center of Little Voice is a quiet young woman suffering the abusive scorn of her sex-crazed alcoholic mother. Little Voice (Jane Horrocks) spends her days holed up in her bedroom listening to scratchy records that belonged to her dead father.

Her mother Mari (Brenda Blethyn) never lets Little Voice say a word. Mari is outrageous, fat, ugly, and self-obsessed. She enjoys drinking and screwing in the back of Chevys, but she delights even more in demolishing her daughter's self esteem. We are led to believe that her acid tongue and carnal appetite killed Little Voice's father. Now this caustic woman is on the verge of destroying Little Voice too.

The movie finally gets rolling when Mari meets Ray Say, her eventual sex and drinking partner. Ray slides from club to club, picking up women and schmoozing to make a quick buck. Michael Caine plays Ray with smooth unctuousness and sharp cunning.

Comedy is initially the central appeal in Little Voice. Caine and Blethyn, together with Jim Broadbent, who plays the local nightclub owner, are wonderfully funny. But comedy is finally not enough.

The dark comical setup leads to the film's gem--the raison d'être for this seemingly ordinary British comedy. It turns out that Little Voice has astonishing talent. She can do Judy Garland better than Judy ever did, as well as a perfect Marilyn (minus the boobs). With dead-on accuracy and sudden passion, Little Voice imitates the great American divas of song in her bedroom.

Horrocks is the real magic behind the movie. At one moment she plays a meek hermit. The next, she becomes a larger-than-life sensation.

After a drunken night on the town with Mari, Ray hears for the first time the special voice coming from upstairs. When he realizes that the sound is coming from Mari's daughter, he pounces on the chance to discover a star. Ray convinces Mari that together they can profit from her daughter's vocal virtuosity.

After some prodding, Little Voice makes her debut at the local nightclub. But without a band, a set, and a flashy gown, the performance fails.

Next time, things are different. Ray sells his car and jewelry, and with the help of the whole town, he builds Little Voice a top-quality set. Flanked by a professional band, and wearing a sparkling, slinky dress, she is ready to impress.

When the lights come up, she walks forward hesitantly. Seconds pass. Then, suddenly, her arms shoot down and her posture tightens. She becomes the diva of the stage and her presence is electric.

The five minutes of music that follow make this film a standout. They could be the best bit of cinema all year. Horrocks not only sounds like the singers she imitates but also captures their movement, personality, and appeal. Marilyn is sexy. Bassey is mysterious. Garland is innocent and beautiful.

Unfortunately, the film ends up not being about a hidden talent that explodes into full view, as this scene suggests. Even in the glory of performance, Little Voice remains motivated by her strange connection with her dead father. She finally performs because she sees his spirit in the audience, encouraging her. Once he's gone, the show ends, never to go on again.

When Ray and Mari try to force Little Voice to perform again, they tear each other to shreds. Little Voice only survives thanks to the contrived relationship that she develops with the shy, pigeon-obsessed Billy, played by Ewan McGregor. By refusing to perform and by jumping into Billy's arms, Little Voice frees herself from her mother. But this ending is thoroughly unsatisfying. Little Voice loves singing and she's so darned good at it. Even while living with her horrible mother, it was singing that consoled her, not some dorky boyfriend.

Little Voice is a film that will be remembered for the wonderful vocal tricks of its star. The other characters are hilarious but ultimately undermined by the weak plot. Still, for five minutes, Little Voice is sublime--better than any I've seen for quite a while.

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