Michael Caine - Blog Posts
14. Ewan McGregor Movie Review: Little Voice (1998)
(sorry, everyone there's not a gif to use for the movie this time! ðŸ˜)
Fun Facts!
Philipp Jackson works alongside Ewan again in this movie in a minor role. They worked together on the movie "Brassed Off!"
Jim Broadbent is part of the supporting cast as the character Mr. Boo. He will reunite with Ewan to film "Moulin Rouge!"
The titular character, Little Voice, is played by Jane Horrocks who performs her own songs! They did not hire an impressionist for her to lip sync to; she's just that talented! She also played this role seven years earlier for the stage play version.
Genre: Comedy/Musical
Rating: R
Director: Mark Herman
Starring: Jane Horrocks, Michael Caine, Brenda Blethyn
Synopsis: "Little Voice" is about a young lady (Jane Horrocks), nicknamed Little Voice due to her whispery manner of speaking. She rarely talks and is so shy that she never leaves her house. The only thing that brings her joy is listening to music. Her mother (Brenda Blethyn) is the exact opposite. She's loud, talkative, and unfortunately, doesn't think Little Voice is good for anything. When a talent scout discovers that Little Voice has a gift for impersonating famous singers, all he sees are dollar signs. He just has to convince this girl with a tiny personality to share with the world her larger than life brilliance.
Ewan Review: Ewan McGregor plays the character Billy. Like Little Voice, Billy is a man of few words. While music is the only thing on her mind, his is constantly preoccupied with his pigeons. When he meets Little Voice for the first time he is immediately intrigued by her and tries to get to know the meek young lady. Ewan isn't given much to do in this movie. His character is shy so he doesn't have many lines. He's mostly relegated to being the quiet awkward guy in the background. If you're looking for Ewan content, then I suggest you keep looking. You could call Little Voice a love interest, I suppose. I don't see their relationship that way but that's just my opinion. He doesn't have any kissing, sex, or nude scenes. I believe he speaks in a Yorkshire accent for the movie. His awkwardness is cute and relatable and he performs a heroic act towards the end of the movie. I think acting wise he gives a good performance.
Screentime Percentage: Ewan is on screen for a grand total of 14/97 minutes making his SP 14%.
To Ewan or not to Ewan: Is the movie worth watching for Ewan content alone? Unfortunately, no. He's just a minor character without much screentime or lines. Is the movie worth watching in general? Yes. It's a charming movie with a talented cast.
Where to Watch: "Little Voice" is available for rent on YouTube, Google Play Movies and TV, Fandango at Home, and Amazon Prime Video.
Closing Thoughts: I feel I have the responsibility to point out that the characters Billy and Little Voice are considered "abnormal" by the people around them. They don't understand social cues, they don't make a lot of eye contact, they barely talk and when they do, it's only about the specific interest they have, and they have unusual mannerisms. In other words, while the movie doesn't explicitly give them a label, I think they're meant to be autistic or at the very least are coded that way. I'm bringing it up because I don't know if the actors are on the spectrum but I've heard from those who are that the autistic community has often been hurt by even the most well-meaning depictions of the neurodivergent. I'm not autistic so I don't think it's fair for me to say whether the actors performance was harmful in their depiction or if it was done well and respectfully. All I can do is give you a heads up so that you aren't blindsided if you decide to watch it.