Other Titles • The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)
Synopses for The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)
1.
I love me...I love me not. HBO Films presents The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, a kaleidoscopic look inside the unquiet mind of Peter Sellers (Geoffrey Rush, Pirates of the Caribbean). Despite his phenomenal success as an international film star, his comic virtuosity belied a troubled private life plagued by self-loathing, insecurity and abusive behavior. The film peers behind the facades of his many characters to expose the one that the legendary comedic actor never revealed to the public, himself.
(15 votes)
2.
Geoffrey Rush is in bravura form in his shape-shifting performance as one of the cinema's great chameleons: Peter Sellers. This higgledy-piggledy biopic races across the high and low points of Sellers's adult life, pretty much sticking to the standard explanation (endorsed by Sellers himself) that his genius for mimickry and impersonation was the result of lacking a personality of his own. Sellers's monstrous treatment of wives and colleagues is balanced by his childlike enthusiasms, all nicely captured by Rush. As for the re-creations of Sellers routines from The Goon Show or Dr. Strangelove, Rush gives it a game and sometimes inspired go. Other characters are as incidental as they seem to have been to Sellers himself, with Miriam Margolyes (as Peter's grasping, goading mother) and Emily Watson (patient first wife) especially good. Charlize Theron is Britt Ekland, with little more to do than adopt a Swedish accent. The events chosen to illustrate Sellers's neuroses seem random--from a drawn-out infatuation with Sophia Loren to his feud with Blake Edwards--and the film piles up until Sellers's heart finally gives out. This middling life story could have made, and deserves, a great documentary. --Robert Horton
(15 votes)
3.
A co-production from the BBC and HBO, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS is a compelling dramatization of the late comic actor's life. Geoffrey Rush (SHINE) stars as Sellers, delivering a remarkable performance that deftly vacillates between the light and dark sides of Sellers' personality. Diving headlong into his character, Rush portrays Sellers' many cinematic triumphs--including a wonderful turn as bumbling detective Inspector Clouseau--as well as offering a harrowing glimpse into his personal life. Taking his radio work with THE GOON SHOW as a starting point, director Stephen Hopkins traces Sellers descent into the hands of his own personal demons. Illustrating how Sellers' relationship with his mother deeply affected him, Hopkins' film progresses to show how his personal failings began to get the better of him. Known for having an uncontrollable temper and succumbing to many bouts of selfish, and explosively violent, temper-tantrums, Sellers hit some remarkable low points in his life. Talking of "dark nights of the soul" may have become something of a cliche when discussing the private lives of cinematic funnymen, but the beatings that Sellers meted out to several of his wives should be classified as just that.
Ultimately, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS is an unflinching portrait of a highly schizophrenic performer who couldn't bring even a modicum of the happiness he gave to millions of people on the cinema screen into his personal life. Despite his talent, it becomes hard, if not impossible, to warm to Sellers, with Hopkins leaving little room for remorse for the late actor, who died from a heart attack in his 54th year.
(15 votes)
Mooviees.com is not the official site for this film.
All editorial views and opinions expressed here are for entertainment purposes only.
Movie Database
In Theaters
