Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
(B or 3/4 stars)
Annette Bening delivers a fantastic performance as 1950s silver screen Oscar-winning actress Gloria Grahame in 'Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool' (based on memoirs from Peter Turner & directed by Paul McGuigan). When we 1st see her, Gloria's movie career is a thing of the past. She does plenty of stage work (mostly in England). She rents a room and, soon after, meets another tenant: 28 yr. old aspiring actor, Peter Turner (Jamie Bell, so good in 2000's Billy Elliot); who is captivated by the then 55 yr. old star. They engage in some harmless flirting {a super fun sequence where they disco dance in her room}, then fall madly in love. Several things threaten this relationship – their May-December age difference, Peter's skeptical family and, a serious illness that Gloria keeps secret.
The connection btwn. Gloria & Peter seemed quite real. They found each other attractive. They shared a playfulness. Both were natural-born performers. They shared many commonalities, but their differences were, perhaps, stronger. Gloria was older, ill & nearing the end of her career, while Peter was just embarking on his. Knowing that she's getting older {and keeping her cancer secret}, Gloria wasn't making long-term plans and even tried to dissuade Peter from falling deeply for her. On the other hand, Peter thought he found 'the one' and was looking to build a future with Gloria. Melodrama ensues.
Director McGuigan deftly weaves back & forth btwn. different timelines to show the state of the couple's relationship at various points during their 1979-81 romance. And this approach works; emphasizing the passion; the rockiness; the emotional tug-of-war btwn. their commonalities & differences. Crafts-wise, I enjoyed the camerawork, period details & music. And there's a warm, languorous quality to the editing that almost lulls; but not in a bad way.
I love Annette Bening, but I'll go farther than that: I think she gives one of her very best performances, here -- perfectly conveying Grahame's effervescent personality, but also how she uses that same quality to hide the darker truths in her life {illness, various neuroses, vain-gloriousness, a salacious past including 4 husbands & a romance with her young stepson}. I was riveted to every look, nuance & word that she gives us. And I found her tender, almost motherly relationship with Jamie Bell to be heartbreaking. Speaking of Bell, he is just about Bening's equal; thoroughly convincing us that Peter was attracted to Gloria in a way that was as emotional as it is physical. It is the poignant bond btwn. their characters that gives events in the final act some real heft. Get out the tissue box.
Now, 'Film Stars ... Liverpool' could have gone deeper than it does. Some of the plot meanders. One has to question why THIS film is the one that represents a reason to care about actress Gloria Grahame. And though I highly enjoyed all the GORGEOUS & nostalgic flashback sequences {in sunny California & NYC}, this movie has a real downbeat tone that viewers might not want to deal with while watching -- simply put, it's sad. Regardless of all of that, I did love quite a bit of it. Supporting performances by Vanessa Redgrave (as Grahame's mother), Julie Walters & Kenneth Cranham (as Turner's loving parents) are wonderful. I loved seeing the little-seen Liverpool of 40 yrs. ago. And, as mentioned, it's that Bening/Bell chemistry that sold the material & earned my compassion for the story at hand.
The connection btwn. Gloria & Peter seemed quite real. They found each other attractive. They shared a playfulness. Both were natural-born performers. They shared many commonalities, but their differences were, perhaps, stronger. Gloria was older, ill & nearing the end of her career, while Peter was just embarking on his. Knowing that she's getting older {and keeping her cancer secret}, Gloria wasn't making long-term plans and even tried to dissuade Peter from falling deeply for her. On the other hand, Peter thought he found 'the one' and was looking to build a future with Gloria. Melodrama ensues.
Director McGuigan deftly weaves back & forth btwn. different timelines to show the state of the couple's relationship at various points during their 1979-81 romance. And this approach works; emphasizing the passion; the rockiness; the emotional tug-of-war btwn. their commonalities & differences. Crafts-wise, I enjoyed the camerawork, period details & music. And there's a warm, languorous quality to the editing that almost lulls; but not in a bad way.
I love Annette Bening, but I'll go farther than that: I think she gives one of her very best performances, here -- perfectly conveying Grahame's effervescent personality, but also how she uses that same quality to hide the darker truths in her life {illness, various neuroses, vain-gloriousness, a salacious past including 4 husbands & a romance with her young stepson}. I was riveted to every look, nuance & word that she gives us. And I found her tender, almost motherly relationship with Jamie Bell to be heartbreaking. Speaking of Bell, he is just about Bening's equal; thoroughly convincing us that Peter was attracted to Gloria in a way that was as emotional as it is physical. It is the poignant bond btwn. their characters that gives events in the final act some real heft. Get out the tissue box.
Now, 'Film Stars ... Liverpool' could have gone deeper than it does. Some of the plot meanders. One has to question why THIS film is the one that represents a reason to care about actress Gloria Grahame. And though I highly enjoyed all the GORGEOUS & nostalgic flashback sequences {in sunny California & NYC}, this movie has a real downbeat tone that viewers might not want to deal with while watching -- simply put, it's sad. Regardless of all of that, I did love quite a bit of it. Supporting performances by Vanessa Redgrave (as Grahame's mother), Julie Walters & Kenneth Cranham (as Turner's loving parents) are wonderful. I loved seeing the little-seen Liverpool of 40 yrs. ago. And, as mentioned, it's that Bening/Bell chemistry that sold the material & earned my compassion for the story at hand.