Two reasons why Beneath the Candelabra received Emmy nominations

I can tell you in a few words why the HBO movie Beneath the Candelabra has received several Emmy nominations. First, TV industry types love it when major movie starts deign to work in their medium, so the casting of Matt Damon and Michael Douglas in this Liberace biopic, as told from the POV of his "special assistant," that is, his boy toy from the late 70s. Second, TV (and movie) industry types love "bold" casting and actors who take risks - and nothing is more bold (they suppose) than straight actors taking on gay roles and actually making out with and coming onto each other. So seeing Douglas and Damon kissing and caressing shows us how daring these two guys are and how groundbreaking this movie is - when in fact it's not, particularly. It's by no means a terrible movie, but it's by no means great, either. The title tells it all - such a fake come-on, as if we're at last getting an inside look at Liberace the man. But to me that would be interesting if and only if it surprised me with something, showed me something I didn't expect: like what if L. was a Harley-riding tough guy into babes and the gay thing was all an act for the fans? Or what if he hated all the decor and clutter? Or if he was a leftist activist really into Sartre? No, what this movie shows is that Liberace was a campy character with an eye for extravagant design, a true narcissist and egotist who could be kind at times but who thought nothing of using his wealth and eminence to basically by a harem of servants and a boy-toy piece of arm candy. He liked to think he was doing great favors for those whom he more or less owned - and in many ways he was generous - but he wouldn't or couldn't see that he was controlling and in some ways ruining the lives of those he possessed. In other words, despite his love for his mother, or because of it, he could truly love none other than himself. Does any of this surprise you? Me neither. The movie's kind of fun to look at - the art director really went to town re-creating L's domestic extravagance - and the acting and all is fine - though I had little interest in L. himself, the movie held my attention for an hour or so, but by that point there was nothing more I wanted or need to see or to know. I hear they closed the Liberace Museum in Las Vegas; a shame - that, I probably would have wanted to see.