BRILLIANT PERFORMANCES ASIDE, `LITTLE VOICE' FALLS A LITTLE SHORT.

Byline: Glenn Whipp Daily News Film Critic

With her moptop haircut and prodigious nose, actress Jane Horrocks bears more than a passing resemblance to a ``Hard Days Night'' era Ringo Starr - except for the singing voice. Horrocks doesn't need a little help from her friends. She can imitate them. From a brassy Shirley Bassey to a quivering Judy Garland, Horrocks can capture every legendary inflection, right down to the smallest hand gesture and facial expression.

Horrocks is the best reason to see ``Little Voice,'' a wildly uneven movie about a sheltered, fragile young woman who won't speak but can sing up a storm. The film was adapted from an English play, ``The Rise and Fall of Little Voice,'' and, my guess is, it worked much better as a live stage show than it does as a movie. But Horrocks' presence, along with a devilish supporting turn from Michael Caine and a soundtrack full of marvelous standards, ensures more than a few entertaining moments.

Horrocks plays LV (or Little Voice), a young woman who lives in the dark attic of her father's once-thriving record shop. Dad is dead now, and LV has never quite recovered from that. She plays albums from his record collection night and day, developing an uncanny ability to sing along with the likes of Bassey, Garland, Marilyn Monroe and Marlene Dietrich.

LV may never talk, but her obnoxious mother, Mari (Brenda Blethyn), more than fills the sound void. Ever on the prowl, Mari has her sights set on a low-life talent promoter with the wonderful name of Ray Say (Caine). Obliging and convivial (at least on the surface), Ray is convinced that he could have made it big if only he had caught one lucky break. When he overhears LV singing ``Over the Rainbow,'' Ray realizes he has found his meal ticket.

One problem: LV doesn't want to perform in public. For her, singing is private therapy, a way to cope with her tortured relationship with her spiteful mother. The ties between mother and daughter should be ripe for exploration, but writer-director Mark Herman's script doesn't delve into the subject until it's much too late.

The fact that he didn't reign in Blethyn's over-the-top performance - she comes off as a cross between Eliza Doolittle and any dunce from the royal family - doesn't help matters much, either. Neither does a rather pointless subplot involving Ewan McGregor as LV's pigeon-loving suitor.

Horrocks' nuanced performance almost makes up for all these shortcomings, though. Having originated the character on stage, she knows LV inside and out and delivers a rollicking revue once Little Voice takes to the stage. Caine is equally enjoyable, particularly in a quiet scene where he convinces LV to go public with her talents. It's an indelible reminder of a talent too often hidden through the years by poor choices.

THE FACTS

The film: ``Little Voice'' (R; language, brief nudity).

The stars: Brenda Blethyn, Jane Horrocks, Ewan McGregor, Michael Caine.

Behind the scenes: Directed by Mark Herman. Screenplay by Herman based on the play by Jim Cartwright. Released by Miramax Films.

Running time: One hour, 39 minutes.

Playing: Westside Pavilion Cinemas, West Los Angeles; Laemmle's Sunset 5 in West Hollywood.

Our rating: Two and one half stars.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: In ``Little Voice,'' Jane Horrocks plays a sheltered, fragile young woman who won't speak but can sing up a storm. Michael Caine plays a low-life talent promoter.