The Life and Death of Peter Sellers poster & wallpaper

Alison Steadman, Charlize Theron, Emily Watson

Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush stars as Peter Sellers in this biopic that reveals the true nature of the iconic British comedian. Best known for his Pink Panther movies and radio's "The Goon Show,...( read more  read more... )" Sellers brought laughter to millions worldwide; behind the scenes, however, he was notorious as a selfish, spoiled brat who incessantly threw tantrums and abused his wives. Also stars Charlize Theron (as Sellers' second wife) and John Lithgow.

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Directed by: Stephen Hopkins

Release Date: October 2, 2004

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DVD Release Date: May 10, 2005

Stats: 484 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (484)

  • SirPant
    September 30, 2009
    SirPant
    A great insight into the life of Peter Sellers, very well acted by Rush. The choice of actors in some of the supporting roles is a little strange though, has Stephen Hopkins ever seen the Goons?
  • mrpopcorn
    September 15, 2009
    mrpopcorn
    "Never judge a man by his cover."

    The feature adaptation of Roger Lewis' book about the actor best remembered as Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther movies.

    REVIEW

    There's no denying that P...( read more)eter Sellers was a comic genius and apparently there was no denying that Peter Sellers was a total bastard. The line is slightly blurred in HBO's biopic about the troubled (and troubling) brilliant actor with a tour-de-force turn by Geoffrey Rush slipping into the frenetic and manic mind of a real original talent sadly curdled by his inner demons.

    Sellers was a unique British performer who got his start in BBC radio and struggled for some time to make the transition to the silver screen but with a ego pampering mother (the always welcome Margolyes) he is given the extra boost to push himself in gaining an audition that would lead to a British Academy Award and eventually international acclaim with the classic Pink Panther films with his hilarious interpretation of the inept French Inspector Jacques Clouseau and an assortment of wonderful films including the iconoclastic Dr. Strangelove and his swan song Being There which would win him a posthumous Oscar nod.

    But the path to global recognition for his gifts proved to be a rocky one from his first marriage to the beleaguered wife Anne (Watson acquits herself nicely here) to his affair with Sophia Loren (the tres sexy Aquino) to his whirlwind heady second marriage to UK starlet Britt Ekland (Theron in a breezy turn) that ultimately lead to Sellers divorcing both and sadly living alone despite fathering a pair of children who he tortured with his manic depressive modes and outbursts of scary violence in his self-doubts and insecurities.

    Rush uncannily embodies the legendary character actor with some fun and at times truly poignant flourishes ? namely when he is attempting to find a 'voice' for a fourth character for Strangelove that leads him to a panic attack and near breakdown that is truly shattering to watch him stewing in his own juices of what an utter failure he found himself to be despite the accolades and adoration of the film world he eventually conquered. Rush also impersonates the people in Sellers' life in a gimmicky dramatic device the director Hopkins employs where the film is a film-within-a-film (i.e. a scene ends with his melancholic father turning to the camera and it is suddenly transformed into Rush). Otherwise it is handled with a nimble pace and some truly lovely period detail with a remarkable production design by Norman Garwood, Jill Taylor's costumes and Peter Levy's sleek cinematography are all aces.

    Based on Roger Lewis' book of the same name, the screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely cuts to the meaty sections of Sellers' career with episodes between his favorite directors Blake Edwards and Stanley Kubrick (a jovial Lithgow and a sardonic Tucci, respectively) as well as his family life and the odd relationship he shared with them.

    Sellers in real-life has inspired many comics of today, notably Mike Myers who worshiped him and paid a valentine of sorts in his inspired by Austin Powers films. It's a shame that most comedians need to suffer ? or cause suffering ? to get to their craft; what would they be without it makes one wonder.
  • rebvodka042099
    July 13, 2008
    rebvodka042099
    One of the greatest biographical films I have ever watched -Geoffrey Rush is amazing.
  • QueenCityFilms
    March 4, 2008
    QueenCityFilms
    Geoffrey Rush does a great job from what I can remember
  • brooklynspo
    May 30, 2007
    brooklynspo
    fairly solid, entertaining biopic, felt like the HBO product it was, perhaps slightly constrained budget-wise - nice performance by Geoff Rush
  • hanbaz
    October 29, 2009
    hanbaz
    A disturbing and upsetting insight into the true life of the tortured but truley genius Peter Sellers. It id filmed in a respectable way with reference to his varying career.

    Geoffery Rush plays the lead very well capturing his manurisms and his childisha dn selfish personalit...( read more)y.

    It has great cinematography by showing a swich around as Geoffrey Rush the talks directly to the camera after filming a scene from one of his films to show the inner thoughs of Sellers. The film is done in the style of a documentary to include the very serios side of Peter Sellers.

    The film gives the audience backdrops on how he created characters and how the Pink Panther series destroyed him, The end information is shocking and upsetting and gives a final bow of respect to a ceomedy legend but tortured soul.
  • sleepwaking
    September 8, 2009
    sleepwaking
    I am a Peter Sellers fan so I was poised to get the most from this film. This film shows Sellers at his best and worst, but that's not what is interesting. What's interesting is that Geoffrey Rush plays Sellers playing each of the other characters to give inside into Sellers . ...( read more). . it's a wonderful evocation of Sellers many films where he played multiple characters and it's a fantastic device and done to great effect.

    The actual story of Sellers' life isn't to grand, so the film doesn't come across as a life-charger, but if you like Sellers, unique narrative devices such as multiple characters or retro techniques to evoke 60s or 70s era filmmaking, then there is plenty to like here.
  • marioehrler
    September 4, 2009
    marioehrler
    Peter Sellers holds a perennial place amongst the greatest actors of our time, rivaling only Charles Chaplin in his ability to portray the human comedy as vividly and as hysterically as possible without relieving his character from being true and connecting with the audience. So ...( read more)it's no surprise that Stephen Hawkins decided to make a biopic about his work. And who should he chose to portray the famous, iconic late Peter Sellers? None other than Geoffrey Rush, a masterful actor who, besides being able to imitate Sellers extraordinarily, looks like Sellers a great deal too.

    Like any biopic, the film follows our lead character Peter Sellers as he progresses from being a simple radio voice-over in funny ads to a big screen international sensation, and along the way, the film digs deep into Sellers' subconscious (as it were), ergo revealing the so-called "truth" behind the polyphacetic actor who revealed a great many personalities unto the world but chose to hide his own.

    Geoffrey Rush is, of course, perfect in his role. I mean, you should see him do Dr. Strangelove or Inspector Clousseau. He's hysterical! And even if he's not imitating Sellers to a tee, he really does channel Sellers body and soul, giving what I believe to be one of his best performaces. We see how Sellers was lovingly bred by a materialist mother (Miriam Margolyes) who taught him to 'climb high', grasp success and shun anything that may come between him and his limelight- whether it be his wife (Emily Watson, in a perfectly-played role too), his kids or his sanity.

    Although...when it comes to sanity per se, I can't be sure Sellers himself was "sane", with the full meaning of the word. You see him as an overgrown child, impersonating each and every one of his meaningful acquaintances, and merging with the fictional characters he's played before to a point where we discover the "true" Sellers doesn't have a personality, but merely adapts.

    The film is not funny by itself (why, I may even go as far as declaring it to be dramatic entirely), but it rather absorbs its comedy from Sellers' most memorable comedy performances. And it gives us a nice behind-the-scenes look at how he worked closely with Hollywood's greatest directors, such as Blake Edwards and Stanley Kubrick.

    This is, on the whole, a fun film to peruse. It's no "Ray" or "Walk the Line", but it is refreshing and quite interesting. I mean, who wouldn't want to see a biopic about an A-list star who possibly had multiple personality disorder?

    Rating: 3 stars out of 4!!
  • julito32
    August 31, 2009
    julito32
    Absolutely entertaining and a joy to watch, Rush channels Peter eerily to the point of perfection.
    Fun and equally sad to watch him make the mistakes he ends up making. Would love for there to have been more, but it was only 2 hours - not a miniseries.

    There's also a non-tradit...( read more)ional narrative that works because of whom the subject it about.
  • Joecuffaro
    August 25, 2009
    Joecuffaro
    a very odd attempt at a biography that is meant to mimick the irreverent genius of petewr sellers but in the end feels like a failed art flick rather than a decent enough tribute to one of hollywood's finest.

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  • in the movie the life and death of peter sellers which actress did he marry?  Answer »
  • "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers" starred Geoffrey Rush and was based upon the actual life events of comedian Peter Sellers.   Answer »
  • Tagline: Never judge a man by his cover.   Answer »
  • Who plays Britt Eckland in 'The life and death of Peter Sellers?  Answer »
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