The final movie from Somara’s recovery marathon!
Yeah, I know, this DVD was watched way over two months ago so why the delay? Life gets in the way plus other more immediate stories were written, stuff I can whip together in a hurry such as Gene Wilder’s birthday or the Roadrunner computer. Usually, I do jot down some notes (mentally and on my MacBook) on the movie, book, DVD set or game I want to review and it is moved into a queue. Not the best method yet it prevents me from ever claiming I’ve run out of things to write about. The upside of being behind!
On to the review but I think I will be pushing for more succinct stuff if the inspiration isn’t there or in the case of this DVD, it was hard to articulate.
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers slipped through the general public because it was released in America via HBO only. Either Peter Sellers has powers from beyond the grave or his fourth wife raised a powerful stink to prevent it from being in theaters. Such a shame. It brilliantly captures Sellers’ volatile, unpredictable and self-loathing side. Many people with his level of talent tend to be miserable since audiences always expect them to be “on.” In Peter’s case, he didn’t always like who he was so his characters were masks to hide behind.
The cast borders on perfect too. Geoffrey Rush practically channels Peter Sellers even better than Ewan MacGregor mimicking Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan; many accused Sellers of “stealing” from Guinness after they did The Ladykillers film together. Accompanying Rush are Charlize Theron as Britt Ekland (wife number two), Emily Watson as Anne (wife number one), John Lithgow as Blake Edwards, Stanley Tucci as Stanley Kubrick, Miriam Margoyles as Peg (his domineering mother) and Stephen Fry as Maurice Woodruff, the con-artist/fortune teller who held more sway than Peter’s agent. Again, with such a list of heavy hitters, someone had the pull to prevent this biopic from getting the distribution it deserved. Reminds me of all the fuss to prevent the John Belushi flick Wired.
Sellers has a typical beginning; it’s after WWII, he’s a star on a popular radio show yet it doesn’t pay enough to support his wife and two children. He auditions for movies and is rejected because he doesn’t fit what the casting director wants. So he returns, disguised as a WWI veteran, lands the gig and then reveals his ruse as a demonstration of his talent. Peter is then on the roller coaster of fame and fortune until his death in 1980.
The story of his life isn’t what sold me on recommending this DVD, you can watch that and make up your own mind on how interesting it is. What made the lasting impression on me was Rush’s performance and how the movie takes it a step further. At different intervals of the story, Rush portrays the different people in his life and breaks the fourth wall to tell the audience how this particular person felt about Peter. For example, during one of his many squabbles with Blake Edwards, Rush replaces Lithgow in the role and speaks to the camera about how their relationship was as stressful as it was profitable.
This movie is certainly a must for fans like me and probably an interesting side trek for those who enjoy biography flicks. Even the casual watchers of the Pink Panther series will be entranced by Rush’s performance as the man who inspired lesser comedian-chameleons Mike Meyers, Dana Carvey, Robin Williams and Jim Carrey.