The Life and Death of Peter Sellers

Starring:Geoffrey Rush, Charlize Theron, Emily Watson, John Lithgow, Miriam Margolyes, Peter Vaughan, Sonia Aquino, Stanley Tucci, Stephen Fry, Henry Goodman, Alison Steadman, Peter Gevisser, David Robb, Edward Tudor-Pole, Steve Pemberton, Nigel Havers, Mackenzie Crook, George Cicco, James Bentley, Eliza Darby
Director: Stephen Hopkins
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

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

Customer Reviews:

Geoffrey Rush's name alone is enough of a recommendation........2007-06-28

Intelligent, imaginitive, gripping and bend-you-over double laughing effort by HBO Films. Geoffrey Rush proves why he is a master craftsman, playing yet another mad genius...the brilliant comic and despicable human being that was Peter Sellers. From BBC Radio days (The Goon Show) to fame and fortune as Inspector Clouseau (Pink Panther), Sellers delighted audiences around the globe. In private, Sellers was a self-deluded, mama's boy,an enfant terrible to his various wives (and children),and directors (Stanley Kubrick and Blake Edwards). Sellers' insecurities and selfishness, had him running to charlatan fortune tellers for business advice and telling his small children he was leaving them for Sophia Loren (apparently a one-sided fantasy that Ms. Loren did not share).

John Lithgow, as Blake Edwards and Rush as Sellers share some of the best scenes in the film. The wonderful banter between the two (ex. Welcoming Rush to Cinecitta Film studios in Rome for the shooting of the "Pink Panther") Lithgow/Edwards: Welcome to Hollywood. Rush/Sellers: But this is Rome. Lithgow/Edwards: Hollywood is a state of mind.

Charlize Theron is beyond beautiful as the fresh faced Swedish beauty Britt Eklund ("The Second Mrs. Peter Sellers"), and has next to no dialogue yet lends authenticity to swinging 1960's London. Emily Watson as Ann Sellers, (1st wife) does not quite seem up to her usual affecting portrayals. Miriam Margolies was spectacular as Peg Sellers, Peter's mother, whose life-long machinations, we are led to believe, created the meglomania that made Sellers a star and then destroyed him.

The deleted scenes in the DVD extras was marvelous because it included Emilia Fox's scenes. Ms. Fox gives a splendid peformance as Sellers' fourth wife Lynne, who played a instrumental role in his last years. That her scenes were relegated to the cutting room floor in final edits is really a shame.

A movie in need of a villain--and mother fits the bill.......2007-04-15

This is an extraordinary film. It deals with a compelling subject. It betrays juicy gossip about fascinating, famous people. The exquisite design and art direction makes it a superb period piece. And several of the performances--especially that of Geoffrey Rush--are nothing short of brilliant.

But in the end, the story lets it down. It comes across as a rivetingly-acted documentary rather than a tale with a beginning, middle and an end.

Frankly, I think it starts too late.

Sellers relationship with his mother was truly creepy, and is rightly credited with his later craziness (which, today, we would probably call a borderline personality disorder). There are two scenes whioch depict it--including one where his mother sleeps with her son to symbolically usurp the role of his recently divorced wife. But neither of those scenes integrate well into the plot, and miss the opportunity to shed light on Sellers character.

As a result, Sellers just comes across as a serial abuser of women, rather than a tortured soul descending into madness, paralysed by grief and emptiness, infecting everyone he touches with his misery.

Further, though the movie starts with a Goon Show episode, it soon moves on to Sellers' later movie years. My understanding is that the three Goons were lifelong frinds, and that radio comedy was his spiritual home. Though of lower marquee value, this may have been more fruitful material to mine his character.

That said, the movie is redeemed by its performances--redeemed handsomely, in fact. It bumps my rating from a three to a four.

Miriam Margoyles too-short exposure as Sellers' mother is excruciating to watch--in a good way. Emily Watson delivers a poised performance as Sellers' first wife--we can sense the complex mixture of love and misgivings that her relationship with Sellers involved.

Many criticise Charlize Theron's performance as Britt Ekland. Fair, I think, up to a point. The Ekland character needed to be innocent--shallow, even--to have been so thoroughly infatuated with Sellers' superficial charm. But to play her as a brainless blonde (which would make sense of the story) would no doubt insult a living actress, as well as giving her less room to show Ekland's developing emotional maturity as she began to realise the gravity of her situation. Even so, Ekland has criticised the depiction of her marriage in the movie...and no wonder. I would be surprised if it were possible to show it in a sympathetic light to all parties.

Rush, of course, is brilliant. An actor of equal claibre, if not better, than his subject.

And a small plug for Stephen Fry as the closest thing to a villain you'll see. Delicious, smarmy, evil.

Amazing performance by Geoffrey Rush.......2006-12-07

The film did an excellent job of lifting the dark curtain surrounding the comic genius of Peter Sellers. My introduction to Peter Sellers was his wonderful work on the Goon Show. I was a regular, tuning in on my homemade shortwave to the BBC home service. Geoffrey Rush did an excellent job exploring the dark and twisting road that was the life of Peter Sellers. Mr. Rush created a compelling if unsympathetic character. My 18 year old son watched the movie with me, and he repeatedly said, "what on Earth was wrong with Peter Sellers?" After seeing the film, it was a very reasonable question, but maybe the character flaws found in Peter Sellers are more common than we think in the community of truly gifted comedians. Carol Burnett once quipped that she went to a psychiatrist to discuss psychological issues, and, after pouring out her heart, she asked if the Dr. could help her. He remarked that he could help her, but she would not be funny when he got done. She left without further treatment.

A nicely done film, and I highly recommend it for fans of Peter Sellers. My one caveat is that this is not a feel good film, and it is not one for the kiddies.

darkly fascinating, fascinatingly dark.......2006-06-16

Geez, I never knew this man was such a looney, but then again he's not the first nor the last creative genius to fall under that rubric now is he?

Geoffrey Rush is excellent(can't remember the last time he actually gave a BAD performance in fact) in the title role, as is virtually everything else about this movie: cast, direction, pacing, theme ... truly topnotch. Charlize Theron is barely recongizable as the Swedish actress Britt Ekland who becomes Seller's second wife on the misunderstood advice of his psychic, buried under about 5 pounds of makeup --- as always though, she also puts in a stunning performance.

I was relieved to see that this was not yet another bland and playing-it-safe, feel-good hagiography like the biopics recently done about Johnny Cash and Ray Charles. Peter Sellers had plenty of dark side, which this film tackles head-on and unapologetically. It also takes many bold creative chances, veering away from straight biopic into the realm of surreal and metaphorical imagery/effects/scenes which thrust the viewer ever more deeply into Seller's twisted psyche.

Highly, highly recommended.

Peter Sellers IS Peter Sellers! Or is he?.......2006-06-08

"The Life and Death of Peter Sellers" is a biographical picture starring Geoffery Rush as the comic character actor Peter Sellers, troubled star of the Goon Show, Dr Strangelove, the Pink Panther, and many others. This film follows him from the Goon Show in the 1950s to just before his death in 1980. But this is not your ordinary biographical picture, its potrayed as if Peter Sellers is directing the movie from beyond the grave, and somehow starring as all the characters, who give their comments about Sellers to the viewers in behind the scenes.... um... scenes within the film. Sounds a little complicated, and it took me a little while to understand what exactly was going on with that. I'm a Goon Show fan, so is my Dad, so I thought I'd give this film a look.

I thought it was a very informative, entertaining film, but if I didn't already know a little about Sellers life beforehand (who Stanley Kubrick was, who Peter Ustinov was, who David Niven was, who the Goon Show members were, what character voices Seller's was doing, etc) I would have been in the dark just a little bit. The pace of the film, particularly the early parts is rather fast, which is a shame, because I would have liked to see more of Seller's life when he was on the Goon Show with Spike Milligan (an equally troubled comic in real life) and Harry Secombe (a rather less troubled, Christian man). I would have loved to have seen Sellers in this film have had some conversation with Milligan and Seacombe, as it is they don't get a word in edgeways. They just appear in the background in a few scenes, (such as Seller's mother's funeral and at the Pink Panther sequel party) the actor playing Milligan looking sad and the actor playing Seacombe looking concerned, even baffled at Sellers' often eccentric behavior. I'm sure the actors playing them are great, you just don't get to see their full potential here Even just one decent conversation would have done me, the three of them together were good friends, and a really interesting bunch. Even if it had just been with Sellers and just one of them. No? Oh well.

As it is, the film tries to explore who Peter Sellers really was. How much of him reflected in his characters and movies? How much of his upbringing reflected in him? How can a man so child like at times completely ignore his children at times? Why did he love who he love, did what he did, impersonate who he impersonated? Themes along these lines. I can't say I'm the biggest fan of Geoffrey Rush (being an Australian actor gone to Hollywood, he gets an awful lot of hype down here down under, which doesn't help), but I liked him here. He does a lot of characters here, practically as many as Peter Sellers, though you can always tell its him by that nose and mouth of his.

Special features include two commentaries: one with director Stephen Hopkins and star Geoffery Rush, the other with writers Christopher Markus & Stephen McFreely (which I found the most interesting, as it had many more tidbits of information about Peter Sellers). There's also a selection of deleted scenes, most of them expanding on the idea of Peter Sellers/Geoffrey Rush playing both the people in his life and the crew of making the film itself (there's a scene for example involving two of the producers both played by Rush/Sellers discussing whether or not they should mention Sellers drug use and his third wife). If these scenes were in the film, they'd probably make things a little more disorentating for the viewer, well for me anyway. There's even an alternate opening in there, though the fact it opens the film with a sex scene probably is the reason why it wasn't used. Plus there's a making of documentary, with interviews with the cast and crew.

Recommended for fans of the Goons, Pink Panther and biography pictures, though you might want to do a little research on Mr Sellers before you watch, it'll help you to appreciate the film more, I'm sure.

Average customer rating:

Life & Death of Peter Sellers
Starring: Life & Death of Peter Sellers
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

The Wind and the Lion

Sherlock Holmes In The 22nd Century : Video

Stargate SG-1: Season 3, Vol. 2 [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: The Vagina Monologues

Sherlock Holmes - The Sign Of Four