CHENNAI: Some viewers may crib about Mehdi Avaz's “A Beautiful Life” on Netflix, complaining that it is based on a rags-to-riches plot that has been repeated ad nauseam. However, the intimate nature of the film, as well as its sparkling lead do lend some winning points.
An unlikely candidate for stardom, Elliott is a fisherman with a mellifluous voice who is discovered by music manager Suzanne (played by Christine Albeck Børge) and her daughter Lily (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), a talented music composer. Played with charming ease by Danish singer Christopher Nissen, Elliott leads an awful life as a fisherman, bickering and quarrelling with his mates, but when his voice is discovered he is hesitant. Soon, Elliott realises the precariousness of his present existence and understands what his voice could fetch him.
It is fascinating to see how Elliott tackles the recognition of the pitfalls of fame, talent and love. It’s a tad overdone and not very original, with a number of predictable arcs in the storytelling, but “A Beautiful Life” does have its moments of ecstasy.
And as for the music, the melodies do little justice to Christopher's voice, which is quite powerful. A bit of disappointing effort, “A Beautiful Life” could have been much better had it had something different to say, rather than run a plot line close to Lady Gaga-starring “A Star is Born.”
