The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers - the man inside Inspector Clouseau

Author's Rating:

Pros: Very entertaining film with an incredible performance by Rush.

Cons: Might make some Sellers fans a bit uneasy.

The Bottom Line: 
A fascinating look into a man whose demons were kept hidden, while making the world laugh.

Author's Review
Everything I knew about Peter Sellers could have been written on a postage stamp. I mean, I probably saw some of the Pink Panther movies when I was a kid, but I honestly don't recall. Thus it was a strange thing that I found myself watching The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers. Not knowing anything about most of the major players in the movie, made it a bit difficult to get into at first. Yet, I ended up finding it highly entertaining.

This movie starts out with a young adult Peter Sellers working on a radio show, but yearning for more. With a loving wife, two small children, and a more-than-supportive mother, it would seem that Peter has it all. But we quickly find out there's a deep sadness within the man. Perhaps it can even be said that there's a madness inside the man. For he seems to have no idea who he is, beyond the voices and the roles that he portrays. As his stardom soars, his home life falls to pieces. Divorces, drugs, and manic abusive behavior define his personal life. Yet he is the fan favorite, pressured to always portray the funny man on screen.

That's the focus of this two hour movie, in a nutshell. The constant struggle between Sellers' outward persona, and the demons within.


Geoffrey Rush's performance was incredible. As he carries nearly the entirety of this film, I really have to give him credit. I don't know how much of what was depicted in the movie was truth, and how much was Hollywood fabrication. But coming from Rush, I bought it all. After watching the movie, I took a look at some images from Peter Sellers' films and could not believe the resemblance between the man in the movie, and the real deal. I've been told that Rush nailed the voice, as well, but that's just what I'm told; I certainly don't know.

I also found the direction to be enjoyable. It was certainly "different". Perhaps as a hint to the madness within Sellers, or just as a unique technique, there are some very fascinating scenes. Like when Rush puts on a wig and portrays one of the other characters in the movie, in order to have that character talk about Sellers. The first time he does this, he's portraying his first wife, Anne. Dressed as her, he's re-playing a scene that just occurred when she walked out on him. But in his version of the scene she stays and works it out. Later he does this again, portraying his own mother, in one of the more touching scenes.

Charlize Theron plays Sellers' second wife, actress Britt Ekland. Going into the film, I knew less about her than I did of Sellers. Yet later research revealed Theron's portrayal to be quite accurate. The resemblance between her and the real Ekland is also amazing.

It was interesting to me that the movie did not show Sellers as a child. There are no scenes prior to his adulthood. Yet we see a glimpse of a relationship with his mother that's "cloudy" at best, leaving a bit to the imagination. I would have preferred a bit more explanation there.

In the end this is a rather unflattering portrayal of a man who made millions laugh. I have no idea how much is true and how much was "fictionalized for entertainment". But I suspect there's at least a grain of truth to most of it. Still, it's an entertaining movie. Fans of Sellers will probably enjoy it, or perhaps not. Perhaps they'll be horrified to find out what the man was really like. Folks like myself, who went in knowing next to nothing about him will surely be entertained.