The Life and Death of Peter Sellers

The movie isn't bad, especially if you prefer surreal escapades over a solid plot...

I liked it. The acting was top-notch... truly eloquent 😢

Henry Campbell5 said:You're not wrong. Those are my favorite kinds of actors. The ones I hate when I first see them, and then they land a role like 'Chaplin' and just absolutely kill it. Before this movie, he was in 'Gothica'... so, does anyone actually know what his character's point was in that one?

I suppose he’s just keeping busy to keep the gears from rusting out... if I recall, Downey was dealing with some pretty heavy substance issues back then, though he wasn't exactly impossible to work with. I'm glad to see he's doing better now, especially seeing how much work he's cranking out lately.

Jose Chase2 said:I don't get it either 😢

Did you catch his segment on tuba Tales? It was absolutely wild 🙏 🙏 🙏

There's this crowded train, right? And this incredibly gorgeous woman starts messing around—basically flashing some random guy and putting him in the most awkward spot imaginable. It was intense, seriously 🙏 🙏

Anyway, I finally sat down to watch D.O.A. 🙏 🙏

And congrats on the moderator gig 🙏 🙏

Not really, but I'll check it out. 🙏

Jose Chase2 said:I don't get it either 😢

Did you catch his segment on tuba Tales? It was absolutely wild 🙏 🙏 🙏

There's this crowded train, right? And this incredibly gorgeous woman starts messing around—basically flashing some random guy and putting him in the most awkward spot imaginable. It was intense, seriously 🙏 🙏

Anyway, I finally sat down to watch D.O.A. 🙏 🙏

And congrats on the moderator gig 🙏 🙏

🙏

Joseph Lee3 said:Rush has those "feminine" manners, a totally different build, way taller than Sellers... not to mention he gives off this vibe like you're listening to Captain Barbosa!

But I don't think the physical resemblance is the main thing—it's more about that energy, which felt just as electric as what Sellers used to bring. Their vibes are so similar, they might as well be twins. Just look at this—isn't that just Sellers? 🙂

There's no way that scene would have worked half as well with Downey. Rush is just so good in this movie that you stop seeing the actor and just see the character.

Joseph Lee3 said:he was shy, reserved, spoke very softly and quietly, didn't go to parties or have any addictions (except maybe weed)...

I mean, okay, you don't have to defend him like he was some kind of serial killer 😁. But wouldn't it make more sense that the persona he showed in his roles was actually who he really was?

quietdriver3 said:Not really, but I'll check it out. 🙏

🙏

But I don't think the physical resemblance is the main thing—it's more about that energy, which felt just as electric as what Sellers used to bring. Their vibes are so similar, they might as well be twins. Just look at this—isn't that just Sellers? 🙂

There's no way that scene would have worked half as well with Downey. Rush is just so good in this movie that you stop seeing the actor and just see the character.

I mean, okay, you don't have to defend him like he was some kind of serial killer 😁. But wouldn't it make more sense that the persona he showed in his roles was actually who he really was?

Honestly, Rush felt more like Clouseau than anyone else when it came to capturing that Sellers essence, so I’ll just overlook the fact that this entire airplane scene is pure fiction. It’s such a shame they crammed in so much manufactured nonsense when they actually had brilliant material to work with—just a mountain of those genuine, eccentric quirks that made Sellers who he was. At the end of the day, I just can't see Geoffrey as Peter. 😢

quietdriver3 said:Not really, but I'll check it out. 🙏

🙏

But I don't think the physical resemblance is the main thing—it's more about that energy, which felt just as electric as what Sellers used to bring. Their vibes are so similar, they might as well be twins. Just look at this—isn't that just Sellers? 🙂

There's no way that scene would have worked half as well with Downey. Rush is just so good in this movie that you stop seeing the actor and just see the character.

I mean, okay, you don't have to defend him like he was some kind of serial killer 😁. But wouldn't it make more sense that the persona he showed in his roles was actually who he really was?

Haha, what's that supposed to mean? Honestly, the book the movie was based on butchers the character so badly that you’d almost be happy he ended up as just some serial killer. The author keeps drawing comparisons to Hitler in several spots, suggesting the Führer could have actually learned a thing or two from him... I guess those twisted bits from the novel just won't leave my head. And then the movie turns out to be absolutely fantastic.

When it comes to projecting manic energy on screen, it’s a bit of a paradox because, outside of work hours, Sellers was anything but manic. It might seem counterintuitive, but he actually spent most of his time drifting through heavy depressions—withdrawn, isolated, just retreating into himself. He was the kind of guy who couldn't even suppress a random sob when he was out in public. That vulnerability is actually how many people remember him. That high-octane persona only really surfaced when the cameras were rolling; those characters were essentially his escape hatch, a way to stay afloat while he battled the darkness waiting for him back home.

No matter how bizarre his characters might seem, they were actually the complete opposite of who he was in real life; I used to find that almost impossible to wrap my head around, but sadly, it turns out he only truly felt alive when he was lost in a role.

I simply cannot wrap my head around that final scene where Sellers is just standing there by the coffee shop, looking completely catatonic, only for Edwards to walk out and kiss him. Is this perhaps an allusion to a scene from his later film, where he plays some old man trying to recapture his youth or something similar? I haven't actually seen it, if I recall correctly...

Good grief 🙄 I sat through about 20 minutes of that movie yesterday and reached a pretty definitive conclusion: the lead actor was nothing more than an immature, obnoxious brat. Honestly, I can't decide if the film itself is just fundamentally moronic, or if you people are all living in a complete delusion. 🙂 Pardon me, astronaut 🙄

This film is top-tier, pure surrealism through and through.

Rodney is basically Blake Edwards.🙏

quietdriver3 said:Not really, but I'll check it out. 🙏

🙏

But I don't think the physical resemblance is the main thing—it's more about that energy, which felt just as electric as what Sellers used to bring. Their vibes are so similar, they might as well be twins. Just look at this—isn't that just Sellers? 🙂

There's no way that scene would have worked half as well with Downey. Rush is just so good in this movie that you stop seeing the actor and just see the character.

I mean, okay, you don't have to defend him like he was some kind of serial killer 😁. But wouldn't it make more sense that the persona he showed in his roles was actually who he really was?

I totally agree!
At certain points while watching, I actually forgot it wasn't Sellers—I mean, obviously, I don't know what Sellers was like personally outside of his roles, but he completely embodied the persona.
And you're spot on about the energy👍, that's really the core of it.
It's the same thing in Strangelove, not just when he's playing Clouseau... or even in Being There.

And moving away from him for a second—Charlize Theron totally blew me away again... I can never quite pin down her style in any of her films unless I already know 🤣who she's playing.
The woman is so intense, yet I still couldn't quite wrap my head around her performance.😁

Nicholas Sullivan49 said:I simply cannot wrap my head around that final scene where Sellers is just standing there by the coffee shop, looking completely catatonic, only for Edwards to walk out and kiss him. Is this perhaps an allusion to a scene from his later film, where he plays some old man trying to recapture his youth or something similar? I haven't actually seen it, if I recall correctly...

I’m struggling to wrap my head around why they chose that ending at all. What was the point of that specific moment? It feels like something similar happened in real life according to what Edwards has said, but the movie throws it in there with so much inaccuracy that it feels totally out of left field—it's like a non sequitur that leaves you hanging without any real sense of closure. Just a confused mess...😕

Kyle Watson8 said:Good grief 🙄 I sat through about 20 minutes of that movie yesterday and reached a pretty definitive conclusion: the lead actor was nothing more than an immature, obnoxious brat. Honestly, I can't decide if the film itself is just fundamentally moronic, or if you people are all living in a complete delusion. 🙂 Pardon me, astronaut 🙄

Let me put this simply: just because the lead is a "shallow, immature pig" (?!) doesn't mean the movie sucks. Judging an entire film after twenty minutes leads to one conclusion: either you're being dense, or you're totally lost. Yup.

Joseph Lee3 said:I’m struggling to wrap my head around why they chose that ending at all. What was the point of that specific moment? It feels like something similar happened in real life according to what Edwards has said, but the movie throws it in there with so much inaccuracy that it feels totally out of left field—it's like a non sequitur that leaves you hanging without any real sense of closure. Just a confused mess...😕

That is exactly my point; nothing makes any sense to me either... I honestly thought it might be a nod to his latest movie since they bring him up the second the scene ends, but who knows...🤷

Jeremy Flores10 said:I honestly can't wrap my head around how Geoffrey managed to outshine Peter so completely. It makes no sense why he didn't walk away with the Oscar that year.

TV movies aren't even eligible for Oscar nominations...

Henry Campbell5 said:Let me put this simply: just because the lead is a "shallow, immature pig" (?!) doesn't mean the movie sucks. Judging an entire film after twenty minutes leads to one conclusion: either you're being dense, or you're totally lost. Yup.

🤣 Look, kid, please don't try to lecture me on what constitutes "stupid." :P Seriously, what kind of behavior is that toward women? 🙂 Go ahead and take your antisocial little tantrums somewhere else. 😉 😏

Look, I realize I'm being a bit unfair to you mere mortals, but my internal compass—which is currently marching far away from you—is telling me that wasting my precious time on a fool like Sellers won't do a single thing to make my existence any more profound 🙄. And frankly, I fear that anyone who bows down to "creativity" without possessing even a shred of actual taste is part of the lowest tier of society 😢. At least, that’s everything I managed to glean from those twenty minutes that Sellers was actually capable of delivering. As for the film itself, I couldn't care less; the imagery was so incredibly crude it practically hit me in the face. 😳

I hope Henry Campbell5 and I are still providing some level of entertainment for you all; otherwise, please accept my apologies for this tedious, mainstream nonsense. 😛

Nicholas Sullivan49 said:That is exactly my point; nothing makes any sense to me either... I honestly thought it might be a nod to his latest movie since they bring him up the second the scene ends, but who knows...🤷

You're actually spot on; that scene was likely just a nod to one of those unfinished projects, like that Pink Panther romance, even if it wasn't the only thing he had lined up before passing. The reality is, Edwards had zero involvement with that film and wouldn't have had any reason to be part of it. He never saw the script, nor did he write a word of it, which makes this just another glaring factual error in the movie.

It’s kind of like how that snow scene between Sellers and Edwards played out in Aspen just a few months before he died, though they bumped into each other purely by chance. By that point, any semblance of a professional partnership between them was pretty much a lost cause.

Regarding the awards haul, Rush actually picked up a Golden Globe (for his role in the TV movie) and an Emmy, though if you check IMDb, it mentions Hopkins was also in the running for a Palme d'Or at Cannes.
It’s highly likely that in the US, the film went straight to television. I’m guessing they decided it didn't have much commercial appeal—which honestly feels weird given the casting and the director involved.
Personally, I think Rush was the perfect choice—not just because of the acting caliber, but because the physical resemblance is spot on (there were even moments in Shine where he reminded me of Sellers).
As for Hopkins, I’d definitely recommend checking out his earlier stuff—like the low-budget Dangerous game (a super cliché theme, but handled in such an innovative way) and the thriller Blown Away, which stars Jeff Bridges, Tommy Lee Jones, Forest Whitaker, and Lloyd Bridges.
There was even talk about Spacey being the next Clousot.
In the new Pink Panther, Martin's partners are two actors who might actually have been better fits for Clouseau—Kevin Kline and Jean Reno.

Joseph Lee3 said:And don't even get me started on how Dona McKellar is basically just a rejected Sellers clone!

Good grief. It's the exact same look Sellers used to give. I can't believe 😲

Anthony Jackson50 said:Regarding the awards haul, Rush actually picked up a Golden Globe (for his role in the TV movie) and an Emmy, though if you check IMDb, it mentions Hopkins was also in the running for a Palme d'Or at Cannes.
It’s highly likely that in the US, the film went straight to television. I’m guessing they decided it didn't have much commercial appeal—which honestly feels weird given the casting and the director involved.
Personally, I think Rush was the perfect choice—not just because of the acting caliber, but because the physical resemblance is spot on (there were even moments in Shine where he reminded me of Sellers).
As for Hopkins, I’d definitely recommend checking out his earlier stuff—like the low-budget Dangerous game (a super cliché theme, but handled in such an innovative way) and the thriller Blown Away, which stars Jeff Bridges, Tommy Lee Jones, Forest Whitaker, and Lloyd Bridges.
There was even talk about Spacey being the next Clousot.
In the new Pink Panther, Martin's partners are two actors who might actually have been better fits for Clouseau—Kevin Kline and Jean Reno.

Spacey passed on playing Clouseau way back in 2000 when they were first looking at reviving the franchise, and Mike Myers did too. Eventually, Steve Martin stepped up, and now they’re already filming his second Panther flick. I haven't actually sat through the first one, but still...

As for Kline, yeah, he probably would have been a stronger choice than Martin. If he had been cast, I might have actually bothered to watch it.

@ Kate Torres:
Did you see that? Truly tragic...

Kyle Watson8 said:Good grief 🙄 I sat through about 20 minutes of that movie yesterday and reached a pretty definitive conclusion: the lead actor was nothing more than an immature, obnoxious brat. Honestly, I can't decide if the film itself is just fundamentally moronic, or if you people are all living in a complete delusion. 🙂 Pardon me, astronaut 🙄

Why don't you feel better after watching a movie about immature jerks? Shouldn't you be happy you aren't one of them? Or...? 😁

Kyle Watson8 said:Good grief 🙄 I sat through about 20 minutes of that movie yesterday and reached a pretty definitive conclusion: the lead actor was nothing more than an immature, obnoxious brat. Honestly, I can't decide if the film itself is just fundamentally moronic, or if you people are all living in a complete delusion. 🙂 Pardon me, astronaut 🙄

Well, usually artists have trouble directing their feelings toward what's right in front of them—it’s much easier for them to just blast their energy into something vague. So, I guess it’s not really Sellers' fault he turned out that way. Because if he hadn't been like that, they never would have made a movie about the life and death of Peter Sellers, and then he wouldn't be famous and this whole topic wouldn't even exist. 😢

Besides, it's a lot more interesting to watch movies about jerks. They feel more real somehow—since almost everyone is a jerk at some point, whether it's to one person or everyone else. So when we get villains, we get a more realistic reinterpretation, a more engaging film, and maybe even something totally original.

For instance, if someone made a movie about Tori Amos, showing how she rose from extreme poverty and nothingness by using her kindness and talent, you'd end up with one boring little flick that wouldn't stand out from the crowd. It just wouldn't satisfy our voyeuristic needs. To satisfy the voyeur in you, you have to see something about a person that you haven't seen before. Like, it would be way more interesting to make a film about Tori Amos where she uses the fact that she was nearly assaulted as a way to break onto the big stage, taking song ideas from the broken hearts she leaves in her wake 🙂…

Joseph Lee3 said:Spacey passed on playing Clouseau way back in 2000 when they were first looking at reviving the franchise, and Mike Myers did too. Eventually, Steve Martin stepped up, and now they’re already filming his second Panther flick. I haven't actually sat through the first one, but still...

As for Kline, yeah, he probably would have been a stronger choice than Martin. If he had been cast, I might have actually bothered to watch it.

@ Kate Torres:
Did you see that? Truly tragic...

Now I'm just confused. Is this actually Sellers or someone else? 😕