Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool
Real life proves just as dramatic off-screen as it does on it for these two actors, the aging Hollywood superstar Gloria Grahame and her younger lover, Peter Turner. 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.
Based on Peter Turner's memoir, the film follows the playful but passionate relationship between Turner (Bell) and the eccentric Academy Award ®-winning actress Gloria Grahame (Bening) in 1978 Liverpool. What starts as a vibrant affair between a legendary femme fatale and her young lover quickly grows into a deeper relationship, with Turner being the person Gloria turns to for comfort. Their passion and lust for life is tested to the limits by events beyond their control.
Critic Reviews:
- “Bening finds the shattered beauty in Grahame, the tragedy of an ex-star hanging on for dear life to her waning looks and fame that has long since passed her by.” – Detroit News
- “Bening is outstanding as a woman who fears that her fame and beauty are slipping away, and Bell ("Billy Elliot”) brings to his character a heartbreaking vulnerability." – St. Louis Post-Dispatch
- “The screen romance of Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool may seem as odd as the real-life pairing was, but it's a credit to all concerned that the validity of it is never in doubt.” – Toronto Star