Too many fans seem to be blown away

Fantastic!

This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

This movie baffles me. First, it seems to be several different movies. It begins with some laugh-out-loud humor from LV's bizarre mum. I was all set for a very weird comedy. Then LV is introduced. I did not react to her the way other reviewers seem to react. To me, she bordered on mental illness -- refusing to speak, refusing to react, hiding herself away in her room like a recluse with only her records and the memory of her dead father as company, afraid of the world. If I hadn't already read the plot, I probably would've stopped watching, but of course I knew that Jane Horrocks ("LV") would eventually sing, so I kept watching and waiting. (And waiting, and waiting, and waiting...) The movie quickly became a rather morbid drama. Michael Caine was way over the top as the guy who decides that LV's voice is his ticket to wealth, and suddenly the plot becomes his desperate effort to force LV out of her isolation and into the glare of a stage. It was totally unbelievable to me that a girl who panicked at the mere thought of leaving her little cave would suddenly agree to step in front of an audience and sing. Then the movie becomes yet another movie, a story about an almost autistic but hugely talented girl who abruptly breaks free of her fears and performs like a pro, belting out this song and that (yes, Jane Horrocks did sing all those songs herself), in a "bring down the house" performance that was, I'll admit, thrilling and wonderful. But what does she do then? Does she use this sudden great talent to escape from her miserable life? Does she at last become happy and successful, or even try? No. She mumbles and mutters something about "they told me once, they said one time," and throws her career away at the snap of a finger, preferring (according to the movie) to help a strange young man exercise his pigeons, so that the movie ends as a third kind of movie, some sort of deep literary exercise that's neither entertaining nor satisfying, just baffling.

Having seen Little Voice when it was comparatively new I decided it was about time it was revisited with one of its rare TV showings - I honestly didn't realise it had been so long!Undoubtedly many viewers, especially those from outside these shores, will find the acting and accents somewhat irksome, but don't let the decidedly downbeat, and grim vision of British Northerness put you off as you will be missing a a charming, perfectly acted movie.The headline is of course Jane Horricks as the titular Little Voice. She brings the character to life with not only the perfect mimicry of the singing greats, but also her portrayal of the clinically shy woman-child living in the shadow of her dead fathers music collection.The rest of the cast harness their talent to give equally great performances. Obviously most praise goes to Michael Caine's funny, manipulative and eventually quite slimy talent agent, or Brenda Blethyns foul mouthed mother, together with Jim Broadbent giving a solid portrayal as the nightclub owner where Caine trys to 'sell' LV.Across the many reviews often very little is said of the equally excellent supporting cast. The pre-Star Wars Ewen McGregor, ever solid Philip Jackson, and even a Pre-'Stenders Annette Badland, provide quiet depth or stoicness to their characters - literally in Badlands case who speaks very few lines.It's not a perfect movie with its less than flattering view of Scarborough, despite the rather nicer shots of the town at night. Also the background to the strained Mari/Laura (mother/LV) remains very much closed up until the very end, whereas I felt there was enough to warrant it being hinted at earlier.Overall though it's so very deserving of a mere 97 minutes of your life and most definitely shows that a handful of talent can trounce megabucks of CGI any day of the week. .... So just a few niggles and a well deserved and underplayed 8/10

Jane Horrocks isn't a name familiar to the average American by any means. Michael Caine is the bigger draw of this film stateside. However, Horrocks is a recognisable and much-loved TV actress in the UK and Little Voice, a film about the emancipating potential of unique talent (and music) is a film built for one of her special abilities: the ability to mimic singing voices of the golden postwar period of variety broadcasting.Horrocks has a much wider range than stylised karaoke might suggest and this makes the clothes-line plot (guardian angel dad and opportunist wide-boy promoter make good parochial girl's lot) work. Caine is very good as the small time schmoozer who realises he's struck gold, and picks up the girl's mother (Brenda Blethyn) into the bargain. Ewan McGregor has a sweet cameo as another quiet 'un but without the showbiz edge to his passion that LV falls for. Surprisingly, the only thing rather average about the film is the music itself. 5/10

One day the people of the north of England are going to rebel against consistently being portrayed as blowsy overbearing foul mouthed women and boozy overweight violent blokes with the intrapersonal skills of a warthog with piles and severe halitosis.I sincerely believe this despite having watched countless movies in which the main characters are exactly as I have described them including "Little Voice" which is but one of the more recent.The seedy nightclub owner,the seedy agent,the seedy seaside town - there's more seed in this movie than in the parrot house in London zoo.Mr Michael Caine is the token Southerner,seedy as all get out and representing the parasitic Londoners leeching off the talent of the North,lover of LV's mum - a none - -too - subtle performance by Miss Brenda Blethyn.Mr Jim Broadbent,desperation showing in his eyes,goes through the movie looking as if someone has told him some distressing news about his ferret.Mr Ewan McGregor - despite a cute balcony scene played on a rising platform - fails to convince as LV's ardent swain.Miss Jane Horrocks is a clever mimic.This attribute,unfortunately,is not enough to carry her through a full-length movie.Many years ago a friend of my late father's would,when sufficiently drunk,do a pretty good imitation of Anne Zeigler and Webster Booth.Regardless of how much India Pale Ale he had consumed he had the sense to realise that 60 seconds was long enough to employ his one trick."Leave 'em begging for more",he used to say.If only "Little Voice"had exhibited such restraint.