The Life and Death of Peter Sellers

Based loosely on a biography by Roger Lewis, already denounced by Sellers’ family, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers would appear to be one of those films that leaves you nervous as to whether what you’re watching is a factual portrait of a great actor’s life or a piece of fiction purporting to be fact.

As an entertaining biography it has much going for it and perhaps the best way to take it, is to assume that it has some vestige of truth behind it but not to take it as gospel. Plus marks for superbly clever animated opening credits recalling the Pink Panther cartoons and giving a real flavour of the 60’s era in which the film is mostly set. Australian Geoffrey Rush (Shine, Elizabeth) does a good job of showing you the complex make-up of Sellers, his tremendous talent for disguises and ability to play different characters, contrasting with a big ego, a desire to enjoy the trappings of fame, a roving eye typical of any womaniser and his apparent disregard and lack of affection towards his children.

Emily Watson (Hilary and Jackie, Breaking the waves) plays his long-suffering first wife, Charlize Theron (Oscar-winner for Monster) plays Britt Exland and there are useful cameos from Miriam Margoyles as his doting mom, Stanley Tucci as a convincing Kubrick and John Lithgow as Blake Edwards. It’s a very clever depiction of the world of celebrity into which Sellers was immersed from beginnings in front of a live Goon Show audience to his growing fascination for Sophia Loren and later playing of Inspector Clouseau for Blake Edwards.

It gives you a good impression of the genius of the man and ultimately leaves you speculating over what made him such an infectious talented comedian but also such a dislikeable man (assuming you take this to be a rightful depiction of the truth). Overall you’re left feeling entertained but also feeling you’ve watched a fairly hollow experience merely because the action lies between truth and fiction.

Matt Arnoldi