UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Bea Swanson This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

writtenbymkm-583-902097 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.

zetes One of those little Miramax trifles from Britain that dominated the art-house back in the mid-to-late '90s. It stars Jane Horrocks as the title character, a painfully shy young woman who barely speaks at all, but has an outrageously good singing voice. Michael Caine plays a man from the music business who accidentally discovers her while he's visiting her abusive, skanky mother (Brenda Blethyn). Caine's attentions turn wholly to Horrocks, and Blethyn becomes even more wicked to her. Ewan MacGregor co-stars as Horrocks' pigeon-raising love interest and Jim Broadbent appears as Caine's friend, a night club owner. Brenda Blethyn received an Oscar nomination for her work, but she probably didn't deserve it. It's like she reprises her Secrets & Lies character and cranks up her obnoxiousness to 11. Horrocks is the entire show here, really (though I did like Caine's work). She's quite adorable in her shy mode, and when she does sing, man, does she nail it. The original play (directed by Sam Mendes) was written specifically for her to showcase her talents. I'd probably give the film a passing grade, but, really, there's only one sequence where Horrocks gets to show off in full force. It's exquisite, but I really wanted more. A lot more.

S.R. Dipaling Waif-like LV(Jane Horrocks,a revelation!) is child-like,reclusive and almost catatonic,living under the thumb of her blustery,selfish and more-than-a-bit whorish mother(Brenda Blythyn,sucking up as much air as humanly possible). While mum is romancing(more like shagging)the local small-time promoter about town(Michael Caine,able to slip into yet another character with little effort),LV's rich,uncannily strong and facile voice catches his attention,and he sets about to use her talents to hit the big time. One who observes LV--a painfully shy girl who quietly,slowly mourns the death/absence of her father--knows that this course of action is going to be more ruinous than profitable somewhere down the line.Based on a somewhat obscure play written by Jim Cartwright--and penned with Horrocks and her brilliant vocal range in mind!--this movie,directed by Mark Herman,is a quiet little gem,not quite perfect,but packing enough charm to carry it easily. Ewan MacGreggor as LV's almost equally shy would-be-lover,Annette Badland as the near-mute hairstylist friend of LV's Mum and Jim Broadbent as an easily cowed local club owner add the right amount of plain,unforced depth that a charming,character-driven story needs. I saw this the first time as a free vid rent(love the perks of working in a video store!)eight years ago and decided to see this again and was charmed almost equally. Horrocks in particular is quite the find,both mousy and yet powerful,her prevalence over her problems,both internal and external are as rewarding as the talent she exhibits,watching this "litle" voice grow much bigger. A good movie that has become a GREAT cheap rent.

ianlouisiana 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.