Tuesday 28 November 2017

Film: 'Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool'

When I first read about this story (which I hadn't known until a few weeks ago) I thought that it could make for a terrific film. I'm afraid that except for the final intensely moving minutes, it largely left me uninvolved, even rather cold.

The true story is of one-time, big screen star, Gloria Grahame (played by the wonderful Annette Bening - not looking much like the original, though that shouldn't get in the way) in her late 50s and towards the end of her life, falling for an amateur English stage actor of half her age, well played by Jamie Bell. Their romance begins in California 1979 and two years later she, while on an acting engagement in England, rather than stay in a hotel, decides to move in with Bell's family in Liverpool - a family including the conspicuously bewigged Julie Walters, who is required to give not much more than a one-note performance as the mother. (We recall Bell and Walters appeared together in the original 'Billy Elliott', the film on which the musical was later based). The action here keeps shifting (a little annoyingly for me) between 1981 and 1979 and back again numerous times.

You might guess that tender moments of love-making between the two main characters are interspersed with tumultuous rows, she taking repeated umbrage at any slight hint of his, however innocently expressed, that she might be a bit on the old side. She is clearly mentally fragile - and, as it turns out, not just mentally.

The whole viewing experience felt a bit constrained for me, despite the range of emotions demonstrated, particularly by Bening. It just didn't grip me to the extent I'd hoped. It's also one of those annoying films where much is spoken so sotto voce that I didn't have a clue what they were talking about - and when that goes for the two main actors it doubly surprised and disappointed me.

I've not seen any of director Kevin McGuigan's previous films, and after this one his is not a name which will by itself entice me to see further productions of his. 

I only first became aware of Gloria Grahame herself on seeing 'Oklahoma' (1955) in which she hopelessly 'over-cookied' her character. Later I caught up on some of her previous more famous b/w films from an era when she was rightfully feted. But after the 1950s her significant film parts were few, and her rather more numerous bit-parts in numerous TV roles were not solid enough to make a lasting impression.

As I say, I wasn't aware of this particular story being played out at the beginning of the 1980s, though I suppose that by then Grahame's name had so faded from public consciousness that it wouldn't have been a major news item to generate more than a modicum of interest.

I feel I ought to point my rating of the film upwards for the single reason that Annette Bening really does give it her all............6.5.



10 comments:

  1. I saw a preview online for this and thought it looked interesting, although sad. I would like to see Lady Bird, but it evidently is not playing anywhere near me at the moment...

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    1. There is a sad undertow to the film, Elle, but not enough to deter ones curiosity.
      'Lady Bird' doesn't open in U.K. until next mid-Feb. I think I'll be seeing it too.

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  2. I don't know what it is about Annette Benning, but I cannot stand her. She truly grates my nerves and so, yeah, even though it may include one of my favorites, Julie Walters, even in a one-note role, i'll pass on this one.

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    1. If you'd mentioned your antipathy to Ms Bening before, Bob (and you must have) then I'd forgotten it. I've been captivated by her ever since first espying her in 'Valmont' (1990?) when I was struck by how much she looked like Jenny Agutter, another of my then female 'crushes'. Anyhow, she aside, I doubt if Julie W has enough to do in this film to make it worthwhile for you.

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  3. Your review equates with what I read completely. I had already decided not to see it.

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    1. If it hadn't been for the presence of the 'divine' Ms Bening I also might have wished to give it a miss, Rachel. If I hadn't seen it it would have kept gnawing at me so at least that isn't happening.

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  4. Gloria was an actress who was unique. Once you saw her in a film you didn't forget her, especially in "The Big Heat" and "Sudden Fear" (a very formidable foe for Joan). Of course, there was also that scandal. I am wondering if even Ms. Bening can pull it off.

    I will probably see this as I enjoy a film like this and the presence of Jamie Bell is a bonus. Might wait for it to be available on DVD because of your warning of "sotto voce" where I can turn on 'closed captioning.'

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    1. I don't think that Annette B gives us Gloria G, Paul, though what she does give us is an approximation of what she the latter might have been like in these circumstances. However, G.G. was so distinctive that I think it's better just to forget her and see the character in this film as someone apart from historical reality. I think it's a film more for fans of curiosities and for those like me, who are Bening fans.

      The indecipherable (to me) dialogue happens in just two or three places, most notably in a scene where they play, just for themselves, a section of a scene between Romeo and Juliet. Though I am familiar with all of S's plays (yes, all 37 of them) and I was reasonably acquainted with these particular lines, I could hardly follow their spoken words. I would dearly have loved subtitles at this point as well as a couple of others, though none of them really crucial. Otherwise, the rest of the speech in the film is okay.
      But this film doesn't really HAVE to be seen on a cinema screen the way many others do.

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  5. Graham's voice could be rather grating but she was always , ( for me) the goodtime girl with a heart .
    Who could forget her as the elephant girl in THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

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    1. Sounds like I ought to have another look at 'Greatest Show', J.G. - that is, if I've ever seen it. If so it must have been all of 50 years ago or more.

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