Terry Gross （Host）： This Sunday， HBO Films presents a new， made-for-TV movie called “Phil Spector.” It’s about the famous and infamous record producer as he and his legal team prepare his defense in court， on charges of murdering a female companion. The movie stars Al Pacino as Phil Spector， and Helen Mirren as the lawyer who ends up leading his initial defense. Our TV critic David Bianculli has this review.
（Soundbite of song， “He’s A Rebel”）
The Crystals： （singing） See the way he walks down the street. That’s the way he 1）shuffles his feet. My， he holds his head up high when he goes walking by. He’s my guy... David Bianculli： The HBO movie “Phil Spector” is a production that demands attention because of the 2）heavyweight names attached. First， of course， there’s the subject of the drama—Spector himself， the man who invented the ［1］Wall of Sound and recorded hits for everyone from ［2］the Crystals， ［3］Darlene Love， and ［4］Ike and Tina Turner； to ［5］the Beatles and ［6］The Righteous Brothers. Oh， and who also went on trial in 2007， for the 2003 shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson. He claimed she shot herself with one of his many guns. The 3）prosecution argued that he put the gun 4）barrel in her mouth， and pulled the 5）trigger.
Then there are the names attached to this 6）dramatization. Barry Levinson is the executive producer. David Mamet is both writer and director. Jeffrey Tambor plays the leading defense 7）attorney， Bruce Cutler， who brings in attorney Linda Kenney Baden as a last minute co-8）counsel. Linda is played by Helen Mirren， and Al Pacino plays Phil Spector. Almost the entire movie focuses on those last two， with Linda trying to get to know Spector quickly while 9）mounting a defense and assessing whether he should be 10）put on the stand.
But what demands the most attention here， to me， isn’t the subject， or the production team， or the stars. It’s the opening 11）disclaimer， written by Mamet as a 12）preface to his story. I’ve been a TV critic for more than 35 years now， and I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Even though it’s based on actual people and concerns an actual event， here is the disclaimer to the movie called “Phil Spector.” Quote， “This is a work of fiction. It’s not based on a true story. It is a drama inspired by actual persons in a trial， but it is neither an attempt to depict the actual persons nor to comment upon the trial or its outcome，” unquote. Mamet may as well have written： Don’t anybody 13）sue us. I’m just making stuff up， using names and a few bits of court 14）testimony that are in the public record—except if you look closely at the credits for this HBO work of fiction， you’ll find that Linda Kenney Baden—the attorney played by Helen Mirren—serves as a consultant. So even though her exchanges with the real Phil Spector are protected by attorney-client 15）privilege， you get the feeling—at least， I do—that Mamet may not be winging it as much as he claims to be with that disclaimer.
But take that disclaimer seriously. You can’t trust what you see in this HBO movie. But you can， and should， enjoy it. This “Phil Spector” movie， essentially， is a two-person play—an awkward dance between Linda and her 16）eccentric client， as he reveals his shifting psychological states by jamming his mental gears between charming remarks， challenging questions and emotional 17）rants. Pacino is an actor set at hurricane force here， and Mirren matches him by countering his fury with her calm. Mamet’s dialogue， as expected， is 18）crisp and 19）thought-provoking； and these two acting pros make the most of it. Here’s a scene from their first meeting， when Linda visits Phil’s 20）mansion and he reaches for a 21）vinyl record， to put on the 22）turntable as they talk.
（Soundbite of movie， “Phil Spector”）
Helen Mirren： （as Linda Kenney Baden） As your attorney， I must counsel you not—whatever the 23）provocation， not to talk to anyone.
Al Pacino： （as Phil Spector） They’re 24）indicting me for murder. All right， sorry. “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling”—what was it？ Are you kidding me？ What was it？ It was， it was the greatest song ever released. I sold over two and a half million copies. You say that Jews invented the music business. The Jews didn’t invent the music business. I invented the music business. Seventh Avenue， New York， there’s a statue， a little old Jewish guy， 25）yarmulke， bent over a sewing machine. He’s that guy invented ready-to-wear. I invented the music business. Where’s a statue of me？ Where’s the presidential medal？ （puts record on turntable） The Righteous Brothers： （singing） You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips...
Pacino： ［7］Sidney Poitier broke the color barrier？ Are you kidding me？ He was playing Superman. You want to know who he was？ He was an uptight， frightened， white guy’s version of a black man. I put ［8］the Ronettes in their home. I put black America in the white home. First time you got felt up， first time you got somebody’s hand on you， guess what？ You were listening to one of my songs. Mirren： （as Linda Kenney Baden） Did you kill that girl？
Pacino： （as Phil Spector） I thought attorneys never asked that question. Bianculli： This “Phil Spector” movie does ask that question， but never answers it， and never even tries to. 26）In essence， it reminds me of “［9］Fatal Vision，” the famous 1984 27）miniseries about preparations for the murder trial of Jeffrey MacDonald.
But even there， that story’s author， Joe McGinniss， eventually came down on one side and delivered his own 28）verdict， even making himself a character in that drama. In the HBO movie “Phil Spector，” the only verdict comes at the end， when we’re told what the jury decided at the end of Spector’s days in court. And after the movie is all over， I’m left with my final verdict as well. I may not believe a lot of what I see in HBO’s “Phil Spector，” but I’m certainly impressed and entertained by it.
注：
［1］ Wall of Sound “声音之墙”，一种流行乐和摇滚乐的录音制作技巧，由音乐制作人菲尔·斯派特（Phil Spector）于20世纪60年代早期首创。
［2］ The Crystals 水晶合唱团，成立于纽约，被认为是20世纪60年代前期最具代表性的女子音乐组合。
［3］ Darlene Love 达琳·洛芙，美国流行歌手和演员，以20世纪60年代发布的单曲《他是叛徒》闻名于乐坛。
［4］ Ike and Tina Turner 艾克和蒂娜·特纳二人组合，是一对夫妻档组合，曾被认为是“最炙手可热、最经久不衰的R&B组合”。
［5］ The Beatles 披头士乐队，也称为甲壳虫乐队，英国摇滚乐队，1960年成立于英国利物浦，1970年解散，被认为是流行乐坛史上商业最成功和最伟大的乐队。
［6］ The Righteous Brothers 正义兄弟组合，成立于1963年，是一对白人灵魂乐组合，他们的歌曲《Unchained Melody》因为影片《人鬼情未了》成为一代人的记忆。
［7］ Sidney Poitier 西德尼·波蒂埃，美国黑人演员，1958年以反种族影片《挣脱锁链》（The Defiant Ones）赢得柏林影帝头衔，并迅速成为好莱坞头号黑人演员。1964年再以《原野百合花》（Lilies of the Field）勇夺奥斯卡最佳男主角，成为美国影史第一位黑人影帝。
［8］ The Ronettes 朗奈特合唱团，20世纪60年代风靡美国乐坛的女子合唱组合。
［9］ Fatal Vision 美国影片《致命幻影》，讲述1970年美国陆军特种部队医生Jeffrey MacDonald被指控在北卡罗来纳州的家中杀死了有孕在身的妻子和两个女儿。在最初相信他是清白的情况下，Jeffrey的岳父对于整件事情产生了疑心，于是开始千方百计地查证，终于在9年之后让Jeffery以杀害三条人命的重罪受到了法律的制裁。
