You won't be disappointed!

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Blistering performances.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

The main problem with "The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers" is not unlike that of Sellers himself, as the film portrays him: Failure to decide on what it is.On the one hand, you get a celebration of Sellers' rich career in film comedy, with numerous characters of his popping in and out of the narrative and script references both blatant and subtle to expressions he created. Director Stephen Hopkins even apes the look-and-feels of various periods in Sellers' career.On the other hand, the film also wants to indict Sellers for being a cold narcissist who never had time for family concerns or the ability to look past his ego. Much of this is from the book of the same name by Roger Lewis on which the film was based. Lewis's book was a hatchet job; the film aims to be kinder, but in a perverse way, by presenting us with the same information but ascribing Sellers' failings to a bad mother."You simpering cow," she tells him early on, when he explains to her he may not have the face for a film career. "You want to be a failure like your father? Keep mewling about contentment!"The big plus the film has going for it is Geoffrey Rush's lead performance. He doesn't look much like Sellers early on, and he has trouble with the voice (so did Sellers, though, to the point of once telling a Time reporter he had no idea what he actually sounded like.) But he nails the characterizations and vocal inflections so well you want to look past that, and by the 1970s, when Sellers was roughly of the same age as Rush when he made this film, he not only sounds the part, but looks it, too. Throughout the film, his ability to put on various Sellers' masks reminds you both of Sellers' supreme talent and his labile liability.The script is weak, though; too episodic and concerned with surfaces. By trying to present an overview of Sellers' entire adult life, from his time as a member of the classic "Goon Show" troupe to his last year on earth, the film never settles in on a direction or storyline that captures our interest. If you are a Sellers fan going in, like me, you will enjoy the density of references to various bits of business throughout his career, and enjoy scenes here and there for their inventiveness or likely authenticity. But if you just want to see a biopic of an interesting fellow, you will be as lost as any of Sellers' unfortunate wives before this is over.That does bring up a positive about "Life And Death": Its liveliness. Rush especially keeps things running and jumping, playing several of the other characters at various points by aping the actors playing them. I wasn't impressed by Stanley Tucci as Stanley Kubrick, for example, but found Rush as Tucci as Kubrick hilarious. He's really a terrific mimic, on par with Sellers, even to the point of capturing Sellers' unique physicality and subtle eye movements.But Rush's performance is the one thing in this movie worth seeing, and it's not enough to capture a larger purpose or sense of vision. "Life And Death" is a film that wants to present us the enigma of absence as presence, and only gets the absence part right.

I love Peter Sellers movies and have seen just about all of them that are available--even his really crappy ones (and he made quite a few--especially later in his career). I loved his abilities and characterizations...but I also realize that he was a horrid person off the set...absolutely horrid. So although I was very curious to watch this made for HBO film, I also didn't see a whole lot to surprise me or make me glad I saw it. I already knew he was depressed, angry, insecure and a terrible husband...so why did I watch it, then?! And I think this will be the reaction of many people who are acquainted with the real-life Sellers. And that is the shortcoming of the film--there are no surprises or new insights into this enigmatic man. Also, the film was awfully episodic as it seemed to bounce around too much and would be hard to follow unless you are very familiar with his career. What you are left with is a marvelous performance by Geoffery Rush (for which he deserved and won the Golden Globe) and a high quality production all around. You really can't blame the people who made the film--they seemed to try their best. So I'd sum it all up by saying it was exceptionally well made but not really necessary for most viewers to see it nor is it much fun to watch. It seems to be the sad story of a pathetic jerk and perhaps its best value is as an object lesson to us all.

This film is about the private life and public life of the famous film actor, Peter Sellers.Geoffrey Rush does a good job impersonating Peter Sellers. It's a challenging role, as it requires him to take up the identity of Pete Sellers and also Peter Sellers' film roles. I am particularly impressed by the scene on the plane, where he acts like the detective from Pink Panther. It is also interesting that "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers" portrays him as a rather unsympathetic, rude, impulsive and emotionally labile person. There is no sugar coating to make him glamorous. Peter Sellers' character portrayal is very good. It makes me dislike this character for his tyrannical ways, and for him throwing his life away through irresponsible choices.

I've read a lot of negative reviews about this film, and most of them I believe are missing the point. The main complaints are that the film is not a fully accurate depiction of Sellers' life, or that it fails as a documentary because it leaves out important information from his life, including his entire childhood. However, because the film starts with Sellers (an impressive and unforgettable Geoffrey Rush) sitting in a director's chair presenting us with a television screen (roll movie), and then ends with the "fake credits" being shut off by the same Sellers, with the real credits then following, we can deduce that the aim of the film, more or less, is to show how Sellers himself would have viewed his career as a whole. This also explains the scenes where Rush is dressed as the important characters in his life--he is projecting himself into them and having them say what he wanted-them-to/thought-they-would say about him.Geoffrey Rush, as many have stated, does the best that anyone can at inhabiting Sellers many characters (including the most difficult character of them all-Sellers himself), and his playing of other people in his life only adds to the brilliance of his performance. The supporting cast is solid, with the two female leads, Emily Watson and Charlize Theron, giving memorable turns as Sellers' first and second wives, respectively."The Life And Death of Peter Sellers" really is a creative view of examining the career of one of the most talented and unpredictable actors of the 20th century. Those expecting a straight documentary or biopic of Sellers' life will most certainly be letdown, but those with an open mind will certainly enjoy the surreal and worthwhile experience that is looking at Sellers' life through the man himself.