Rating: 
Summary: Great voice, weak ending
Review: Jane Horrocks, Ewan McGregor, Michael Caine, Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent conspire in a northern coastal English town to spin a neat little tale. Jane Horrocks has a remarkable talent, as both a singer and a mimic, and I wanted to stop the movie several times and just listen to her do her stuff more. Brenda Blethyn is hilarious, and it's not just because the script-writer is excellent: a motor-mouth with a razor wit and heartful of disappointment just below the surface; a comic in the great tradition of Julie Walters. I wished Ewan McGregor had a bigger part, but then he's the silent counterpart to Little Voice. My only criticism is that the last part of the movie is a little too conceptual: we're obviously meant to feel that Little Voice has gained a great freedom (all the references to Judy Garland, bluebirds, etc), but I didn't feel that I had actually SEEN that. Little Voice's attachment to her father is almost disturbing, and although it's meant to be a happy, feel-good ending, I couldn't help feeling anxious for Ewan McGregor's character - will he ever be able to make up for her missing, saintly Dad?If you liked this movie, especially Brenda Blethyn, check out "Secrets and Lies".
Rating:
Summary: BIG VOICE, GREAT TIME
Review: Another small, scene stealer film from England, Little Voice is loaded with three tour de force performance s by Jane Horrocks, Michael Caine, and Blenda Blethyn. Horrocks is "Little Voice," the shyest of the shy daughter of a dead record store owner who is overshadowed by the obnoxious mother of mother's (Blethyn). Caine is a small time promoter who hears LV singing to her old 33 LP collection and realizes she is a golden opportunity for him to make it to the big time. LV sings to avoid the reality of her mother and her mother's lovers, but mostly, she sings to remember her father, the only kindness in her wretched life. Ewan McGregor in a small bit part befriends LV, but it is Horrocks stunning singing voice that captures the film and attention. Reprising her stage role, Horrock's dead on immitations of Garland, Shirley Bassey, and Marilyn Monroe are superb. This film is a gem and should be a part of every film library both for it's story and the music.
Rating: 
Summary: A REMARKABLE FILM...
Review: Michael Caine, Brenda Blethyn, Ewan McGregor, and Jane Horrocks give absolutely stellar performances in this wonderfully quirky film. The title of the film refers to Jane Horrocks' character who is called "Little Voice" or LV, for short. LV is a mousy, meek, painfully shy and reclusive little thing with an itty bitty speaking voice. She is totally overwhelmed by her brazen and [common] mother, Mari (Brenda Blethyn), who treats LV with scarcely concealed contempt. Part of that contempt is fueled by LV's devotion to her late father's memory and her fondness for old time musical stars. She has a collection of records by those long ago stars, that she plays over and over, a collection that she apparently inherited from her beloved father. Her passion for this music drives her mother crazy, as it seems to remind Mari of her late husband, whom she apparently held in the same regard in which she holds LV. Only Billy (Ewan MCGregor), the local telephone repairman, a sensitive, young man who trains and raises pigeons as a hobby, seems to talk to LV as if she were a sentient being. Mari begins dating Ray Say (Michael Caine), an over the hill, has been talent scout. Mari is pathetic, as she tries desperately to hang on to whatever vestiges of her youth remain. Ray, a sleazy opportunist, who thinks that he is God's gift to women, does not exactly reciprocate Mari's lavish affections. I cannot, however, think of two people who deserve each other more. One day, LV is in her room singing, and Ray overhears her, but what he hears is "Judy Garland". It seems that LV can sing and sound exactly like those old time musical stars. Ray is in seventh heaven with his discovery. You can almost see the dollar signs in his eyes. He will do whatever it takes to get LV on stage, though his unctiousness towards her only serves to fuel Mari's jealousy of Ray's attention to her daughter. Ultimately, Mari and Ray band together, however, as LV is their meal ticket to fame and fortune, if they can only get her to overcome her shyness and reclusiveness. They do not, however, understand why she sings. It is this lack of perception that that will, in the end, be their undoing. Nonetheless, LV goes on to give one of the most show stopping performances ever to grace center stage. The transformation is incredible. Jane Horrocks gives a performance to be remembered! The only question is whether Ray and Mari can get LV to sing more than once. See the movie and find out for yourself. This is, without a doubt, an exceptional film.
Rating:
Summary: 4 STAR PERFORMANCES IN 1 FILM
Review: I saw this film 3 times in the movie house and it was among the first I purchased when I bought a DVD player... Caine, Blethyn, MacGregor and Horrocks are all at their best in this film(husshhh; Blethyn a bit better than the others...) For anyone, everywhere, who has lost a friend, a loved one(here a father) it isn`t hard 2 identify oneself with Laura(LV). The stunning thing is that the film could have been about ME in that department. I have always listened 2 Judy Garland - especially when the World has been against me. And by God that voice has helped me. Enough of the similarieties... When Laura gives the all-stops performance, it is a creative outlet and the LP`s doesn`t mean that much anymore. As Billy explains; there are people ALIVE who fancies (read: him) LV. Cause in a a way: Judy, Shirley and Marilyn represents LV`s Dad and she can`t allow herself 2 be rid of him. 2gether with Billy, she opens one of the pigeons cages and set them free - a metaphore really - LAURA IS FREE(she frees herself from her mental and motherly blocks) The music selections are fine and personally I fully enjoy the tribute 2 Judy(though Jane is not up 2 Judy`s level singing the legend`s songs. The music is nicely arranged though). The DVD offers a "making of" and as said, Brenda Blethyn is the standout(compare the fiction personality and Brenda`s own). It is a treat that can be watched - and will by me - repeatedly.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: I'm so glad I rented this DVD! This is such an endearing, charming little film. Part of it is a very sweet (but not too sweet, if you know what I mean) love story between two very likeable characters, and part of it is the story of two rather shabby, not-so-nice characters who are still very interesting and believable--thanks in no small part to the strong performances of Michael Caine and Brenda Blethyn. Jane Horrocks's singing is wonderful and the centerpiece scene of LV's triumphant performance really sparkles--I'm glad the sound quality on the DVD is so good. The only slight negative to the film is that, as an American, I sometimes couldn't understand what LV's mother Mari was saying since her Northern English Cockney accent was so thick. This was also true of the more minor characters of Mr. Boo and George. Fortunately, on DVD you can turn on the subtitles feature for a quick "translation" into English! I liked this movie so much I watched it twice in a row on the spur of the moment--it's only about an hour and half long. To top it off, the ending is quite inspiring in an understated way and I plan on buying the DVD and making it a permanent part of my collection.
Rating:
Summary: UNIQUE AND INSPIRING
Review: The actors in this film are grand. The virtually unknown (to American filmgoing audiences) Jane Horrocks (she plays the character in live theatre as well) is brilliant as the silent, shy, and introverted Little Voice. She never talks (and is even too afraid to answer the telephone), but sometimes, as if possessed by the souls of larger-than-life stars like Judy Garland, Little Voice is able to sing and imitate these stars. Her nagging and ungrateful mother, played by a talented but always appropriately annoying Brenda Blethyn, is jealous of Little Voice, treats her horribly, and resents the relationship LV (as she is referred to) shared with her father. Michael Caine is excellent as Blethyn's sleazy date who comes home with her and "discovers" this goldmine that is LV's voice and talent. Blethyn grows more and more jealous of Caine's interest in her daughter. Caine convinces LV to perform live (which will, presumably, make her-and him-rich). Caine uses LV's dead father as a ploy to get her onstage, and for one night, she discards her shyness and her fears and gives the performance of a lifetime. Caine sees the profit growing in his imagination and books many more occasions for LV to sing, but she refuses to perform ever again. Blethyn's character grows more and more bitter. Eventually their house burns down, and LV leaves to be with a shy telephone repairman and pigeon-keeper played well by Ewan McGregor who has quietly been pursuing LV all along. The film is delightful for its offbeat charm, although it is a somewhat sad tale for Blethyn and Caine's characters. But the overall story of how LV finds her true voice and breaks out of her shell is rewarding.
Rating:
Summary: A magical film.
Review: Jane Horrocks (Bubble from the TV comedy 'Absolutely Fabulous') reprises her stage role as Laura Hoff (known to her mother and most others though as LV - Little Voice).Laura listens to her dear dead father's old records of the classic divas - Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Shirley Bassey, Edith Piaf, Marlene Dietrich and all the rest, and has developed her natural ability to sing and imitate all her favourite singers. What began as her escape from her domineering and cold mother Mari (Brenda Blethyn) becomes a piece of exploitation, as she is forced to go onstage and 'strut her stuff' as Little Voice, but she only agrees to do it once............ Ray Say (Michael Caine) her mother's latest lover, and a washed-up talent scout is the one responsible for LV's stage engagement. It's a case of two souls clashing-one the gentle Laura's and the other the bloated, boozed and greedy Ray's. After her truimphant debut, she thinks its all over, but Ray and Mari have other ideas, seeing her potential as a money-spinner and their meal-ticket to the high life. Laura seems trapped, but, magically, she has found out that she does not need to live in the shadow of her mother, or in the hazy spell of her diva friends. Laura has discovered that finding your own 'voice' can be magic. Utterly remarkable and full of glittering and endearing performances.
Rating: 
Summary: Pointless Screen Adaptation of a Remarkable Stage Play
Review: I was lucky enough to see 'The Rise and Fall of Little Voice' on the West End stage a few years ago, and was so overwhelmed by the play that I was eager to see the screen adaptation. Imagine my disappointment and, well...confusion! Alison Steadman took the lead as Little Voice's mother in the stage play, and gave what I believe to be a 'landmark' performance. And the performance was so brilliant thanks to the ROLE being so complex; throughout, the character of L.V's mother is absolutely TORTURED, swinging from vile, obnoxious and over-bearing to vulnerable and pathetic. At the end of the stage play, we finally learn WHY she is so over-bearing and aggressive; it is because her husband, Little Voice's dead father, was so WEAK and INEFFECTUAL that she, the mother, had to take on the responsibility for the whole family in a town which laughed at her husband for his obsession with Judy Garland and the likes. Your heart absolutely BREAKS for her, and the whole 'idea' behind 'Little Voice' as a play about two women struggling with their own psychosis caused by a dead man falls into place and absolutely knocks you over! Boy, did they 'dumb it down' for the movie version! The entire 'point' to the original story is 'missing'; the mother, played by Brenda Blethyn, is nothing more than an over-played charicature of an obnoxious woman (so what! ) and I am tempted to think that this is the fault of bad direction; Brenda Blethyn is a marvellous character actress, and I was frankly surprised to see her giving such an over-acted and one-dimensional performance. The moving monologue at the end of the stage play where the mother EXPLAINS why she has become such an ogre has been totally cut from the movie, and so the 'resolution' you're waiting for throughout the film never, ever happens. Jane Horrock played 'Little Voice' on the West End as well as in the film version, and although fine in the film, she was 'better' on the stage because their was more 'meat' for her to grapple with in terms of her character's psychology. In the film version, we're never quite sure what her 'problem' is, and quite frankly, her 'silent psychosis' gets a little irritating! Michael Caine's character of 'Ray Say' did not exist in the stage play (although I believed he was referred to) and I was glad it was included in the film, as he at LEAST was a three-dimensional character one could 'believe' in. So what are we left with? The story of a girl who doesn't speak but can do GREAT imitations of legendary singers who eventually breaks free of her over-bearing mother to take up life with a telephone repair man. There is nothing MORE to the movie than THIS, and if their IS a deeper subtext, it doesn't come through at all. The 'mistake' that was made in adapting this play for the screen was in making it 'L.V's' story; on the stage, it was her MOTHER'S story. And in my own opinion, the story of a weak girl who does a GREAT 'Judy Garland' isn't ENOUGH of a story to keep me interested - especially as every scene goes on FOREVER!
Rating:
Summary: Funny, charming film with talented Jane Horrocks
Review: Charming film about L.V. (Little Voice), a meek-voiced, shy British woman who enjoys singing the music of Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and others. Her mother, a sex-crazed record store owner, and the agent Ray Say (a terrific Michael Caine)both attempt to manipulate her into stardom. This is an interesting, charming, and funny movie which takes some interesting turns along the way. Jane Horrocks, as the title character, is terrific, and sings her own songs beautifully. She is incredibly talented, and the movie is a charmer. Look for a nice performance by Ewan McGregor as L.V.'s wanna-be beau.
Rating:
Summary: A little known film that needs it's own spotlight!
Review: I saw this movie on a whim. For those people, like myself, who haven't yet taken the big steps into 'indie' films, this movie is a good place to start. It's about Little Voice (played by an amazingly talented Jane Horrocks, where did this girl come from?), a young woman with a voice that's barely above a whisper. And living with her mother (played by the enjoyable Brenda Blethyn), I can understand why. But LV has got something about her. When she wants to express herself she opens up her mouth and sings. What I was suprised to learn was that Ms.Horrocks does all of her own singing, which is amazing! Needless to say, it's not long before people are discovering her, including sleazy agent Micheal Caine and sweet pidgeon messenger Ewan McGregor. I'm not going to say any more, I want everyone to see this movie, because it really is a fantastic one! It's too bad it's not more well known, because the performances are great, the acting is superb, and the whole feel of the movie is one that makes you want to get up and dance!
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