Tonight on TV: A poignant film that deserves a session

Reading a book behind the candelabra (literally “Behind the Candelabra”) that Steven Soderbergh finds the corner of the biography he wants to film on the famous pianist Liberace: by telling his love story with the young Scott Thorson.

More broadly, the filmmaker shows behind the scenes, an era that was not afraid of excesses and excesses, but where many artists were forced to keep their homosexuality a secret.

So, aside from the 70s reconstruction with lavish sets and costumes, My Life with Liberace is essentially based on the moving performances of his performers. Opposite Matt Damon, in the shoes of his girlfriend, Michael Douglas, who has just emerged victorious in his battle against cancer, gives a breathtaking performance that gives his out-of-proportion character a slice of humanity.

Deemed “too gay” for theatrical release in the United States, the feature film failed to find a distributor in the United States. It was then made into a television movie by HBO, which achieved a record audience during its broadcast with 2.4 million viewers.

Widely acclaimed by critics (it won an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Miniseries or TV Movie), My Life with Liberace It’s a very beautiful film to (re)discover.

My Life with Liberace Steven Soderbergh with Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, Dan Aykroyd…

Tonight at Arte at 20:55.