Little Voice

By RICHARD CORLISS

Little Voice (Jane Horrocks), a withdrawn young woman who is constantly hectored by her blowsy mom (Brenda Blethyn) and courted by a drab-as-drywall repairman (Ewan McGregor), lives only for the pop standards her dear dead dad loved. Turns out she has an eerie gift for mimicking Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and other ghosts of chanteuses past. So a local talent scout (Michael Caine) thrusts the kid onstage for her, and the film's, moment of magic. Horrocks' metamorphosis from starling to star is worth cherishing. But stay around for Caine's bilious rendition of Roy Orbison's It's Over--screw-you show biz at its most show-bizarre.

--By Richard Corliss