Greatest Comedy Cuts - Peter Sellers

Advantages: Superb acting by Geoffrey Rush
Disadvantages: Sellers' apparent 'non-personality'

...Having just paid my TV licence, I've become much more aware of the time I spend watching the BBC channels recently. Frankly, it's not a whole lot. But occasionally they do have some excellent programmes on, one of which was this film, albeit hidden away rather late on a Saturday night on BBC 2. The mention of Peter Sellers' name transports me instantly back to my childhood and evenings in with my mum watching The Pink Panther. I've never known a great deal about his private life, however, so the opportunity to watch this film, starring Geoffrey Rush, one of the best actors of our time in my opinion was much welcomed. The story The film starts at the beginning of Sellers' television career, when he moved from radio to The Goons. At the time, Peter is married to his first wife, Anne, with whom he has two children. It is immediately... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Good performances, interesting style
Disadvantages: Not good if you are looking for comedy!

...As a great fan of Peter Sellers and having many of his films in my collection, when this film came out I thought it was a must see as far as I was concerned. It presented a side of Sellers which I had never considered, having seen him as purely man of comedy a role he portrayed himself as being so well in public. The film manages to cover most of his life and starts by introducing you to one of his strongest relationships, that beween him and his mother - which runs throughout the film, it touches on the history of the family - how his mother had been on the stage herself and how he had been encouraged in this area from an early age. It then goes on to show how Sellars firstly known for his hilarious roles in the Goon show wanted to build on his newly found fame and make it into the movies, struggling to get roles purely because he... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Quirky style with a surprising life story.
Disadvantages: My god it was long!!

...I'll hold my hands up and admit that I didn't really know all that much about Peter Sellers before this film. I knew who he was and knew a few of his films but didn't realise the extent of his impact on British celebrity culture. I loved the quirky format of this film. It took quite a story with a dark undertone and combined it with bright colours and buckets of enthusiasm to keep the audience unsure of how to feel and so engaged by this confusion. Geoffrey Rush was superb both as Sllers but also in the short breaks in the narrative where he plays other characters. These particular scenes are so bizarre and have a kind of sick humour to them that once again keeps you involved. My min complaint is the sheer length of it. I watched it in two sittings so it didn't seem like such a commitment but hats off to anyone who watched... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful