Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

One of the most overlooked, exquisitely sensitive films of 2017 somehow slipped past all attention to awards. Based on a true story - published by Peter Turner in 1986 - of a late in life affair between screen icon Gloria Grahame and young actor Peter Turner - this film is radiantly beautiful. The screenplay adaptation is by Matt Greenhalgh and the sensitive direction is the work of Paul McGuigan.

The story covers the years 1979 - 1981. In 1979 Gloria Grahame (Annette Bening) is in England starring on stage in The Glass Menagerie and flirts with young actor Peter Turner (Jamie Bell), a bisexual young actor who falls under the spell of the femme fatale and despite the significant age difference they fall in love and begin and affair that is real, tender, and meaningful to both. As their mismatched romance waxes and wanes over time, events conspire to keep them in each other's lives even when it proves difficult and demanding. Ultimately, they find that they must each come to terms with whatever fate they face in the future whether they are together or apart. Grahame has breast cancer, a fact she conceals from Peter, and as she becomes close to Peter's family - mother Bella (Julie Walters), father Joe SR (Kenneth Cranham), and brother Joe Jr. (Stephen Graham) - she reveals her illness. On a trip to Los Angeles Gloria and Peter live together in Gloria's house trailer by the Pacific ocean, and are visited by Gloria's mother (Vanessa Redgrave) and sister Joy (Frances Barber) before they return to Peter's home in Liverpool. Gloria grows weaker and ultimately decides to return to her American physician for chemotherapy, escorted by one of her real sons Tim (Tom Brittney) from one of her four marriages, leaving Peter with love and concern that he care for his own family. The story is an affectionate, moving, and wryly humorous memoir of friendship, love, and stardom.

Oscar worthy performances by Bening, Bell, Walters and the entire cast make this film luminous - one that needs to be seen more than once to fully appreciate all the fine qualities - acting, photography, musical score, and direction. Highly recommended

A middle-aged American actress (Annette Benning) turns to her young ex-lover (Jamie Bell) and his family in Liverpool when her health problems take a turn for the worse. Oh and by the way, the actress is screen legend Gloria Grahame, and the film is based on the real-life memoir of her lover, Peter Turner.

Told in flashbacks and memories, director Paul McGuigan keeps the pace of the film up, which helps offset the depressing aspects of the story, which of course involves the inevitable decay to the body, even with those immortalized as such bright stars in the universe of movies. The scene of an argument the pair have, shown first from his perspective and then later from hers, is excellent. It reminds us to consider that there may be all sorts of things in another person's thoughts that may explain their actions which we don't understand. The scene where the pair go on the stage of an old empty theater to recite from 'Romeo and Juliet' is very touching. It reminds us that the romance and feelings of one's heart don't disappear, even if the skin wrinkles and looks fade.

Benning received accolades for her performance and is certainly solid, displaying a lot of range and honesty, but I'm not sure if she quite captures Gloria Grahame. Bell is fine too, particularly in scenes with his family, where we see the moral force of his parents (Julie Walters and Kenneth Cranham), as well as his wonderfully combative brother (Stephen Graham). The film is not meant as a complete biography by any means, focusing on these last few years of her life and her relationship with this young actor, but at the same time, it would have been nice to see more clips from her films, even if they had been just interspersed with the credits rolling. All in all though, it's a touching film whether you know Gloria Grahame or not.

Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool. It's a beautiful, with quite a simple premise. It's a true story so that adds to the overall beauty of the film. Budding actor, Peter Turner meets Hollywood legend Gloria Grahame and fall in love. Jamie Bell and Annette Benning are stunning in the lead roles. The relationship although perfect and like all true loves a little rocky, does come unstuck when Graham discovers she has cancer. She scuppers the relationship much to Turners utter amazement. Their paths meet later when Graham discharges herself from hospital and moves into Turners family home. Peter Turner who wrote the book, appears briefly in a scene when the two leads are acting Romeo and Juliet, Turner puts the chairs out on the stage which is a lovely touch. A lovely film which is a fine study of love and caring. Ps the title of the film gives the ending away, so I don't have worry about spoilers. 7/10.

Oscar winner Gloria Graeme, no longer an in demand Hollywood star, spends her last years appearing in plays in the UK where she falls in love with a young Liverpudlian.

Very sad, moving film about love and death with a fine performance by Bell. It is though Bening's film, who is absolutely on top form. Not getting an Oscar nod was very strange, particularly given some of the nominees in 2018.

Worth seeing if you're up for it - but be warned, not a lot of laughs.

"Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool" (2017 release; 107 min.) is a movie about the last years in the life of actress Gloria Grahame. As the movie opens (and Elton John's "Song For Guy" plays in the background), we are told it's "Liverpool, England, 1981" and we see Gloria applying make-up and getting ready for a theater performance. But she falls ill. She reaches out to Peter Turner in nearby Liverpool and asks if she can come stay at his mum's house. Peter agrees. We then go back in time to "Primrose Hill, London, 1979", and we see Peter running into Gloria for the first time. At this point we are 10 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is latest from Scottish director Paul McGuigan, best known for "Victor Frankenstein". Here he brings the real life memoir of Peter Turner to the big screen. Turner met faded film star in the late 70s when he was 28 and she was twice that age. i shan't say more (biting my lips). Let's be very clear about one thing: leading actress Annette Bening is absolutely fantastic in this movie. You might think that, having been criminally overlooked in last year's Oscar nominations for he outstanding work in "20th Century Women", the Academy would be a bit more careful this time around. But no. Bening is once again robbed by the Academy, which instead once again lazily gave another nomination to Meryl Streep for her ok (but by no means outstanding) work in the very medicore "The Post" (an "All President's Men" wanna-be that is nowhere close to that gold standard). Jamie Bell is equally up to the task, but has nowhere near the stature or screen presence of Bening. Vanessa Redgrave appear in one scene. The movie's set production (recreating the late 70s/early 80s) is immaculate. Last but not least there is a lot f great music in the film, both as to the score and the song placements.

"Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool" has been gradually expanding over the last 2 months, and it finally opened last weekend at my local art house theater here in Cincinnati. The Sunday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended okay (about 15 people or so). Other than the very basic premise of an older woman's relationship with a younger guy, I knew nothing about the movie beforehand, and I ended up enjoying this quite a bit more than I had expected. But it the end, this film is really about Annette Bening's outstanding performance, and that alone is worth checking this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray.