Annette Bening

Jamie Bell

Julie Walters

Stephen Graham

Kenneth Cranham

Leanne Best

Vanessa Redgrave

Frances Barber

James Bloor

Tom Brittney

Isabella Laughland

Suzanne Bertish

Joey Batey

Jay Villiers

Michael Billington

Peter Turner

Tim Ahern

Joanna Brookes

David Decio

Rick Bacon

Pete Lee-Wilson

Ify Mbaeliachi

Vaslov Goom

Paul Dallison

Bentley Kalu

Gino Picciano

Adam Lazarus

Luana Di Pasquale

Gemma Oaten

Jade Clarke

Edward Bourne

Nicola-Jayne Wells

Helen Iesha Goldthorpe

Glynn Turner

Anna Afferr

Lee Adach

Jodie McNee

Marina Bye

Pandora Colin

Alexander Arnold

Debbie McWilliams

Susannah Brough

Jany Temime

Naomi Donne

Doone Forsyth

Nadine Keiser

Norma Webb

Louise Killin

Jaynie Miller

Lucy Eaton-Whitfield

Helen Fraser

Blandine Grimaldi

Anastasia Harrold

Neil Wallace

Jo Hawthorne

Megan Jones

Craig Price

Nick Baldock

Linda Brenon

Peter Burgis

Miguel Coiz

Pablo Isola

Nick Jimenez

Michael Miller

Ian Morgan

Jens Rosenlund Petersen

Jemma Riley-Tolch

Jason Swanscott

Derek Trigg

Martin Gabriel

Uel Hormann

Hazel Wright

Susie Allnutt

Mike Archer

Kevin Foy

Jon Garwes

Andy Gowing

Eddie Knight

Arron Monkman

Abigail Vosper

Vicente Vázquez

Derek Walker

Annie Crawford

Richard Davies

Sally Turner

Marie Fernandes

Christopher Lloyd

Jane Soans

Peter Clarke

Ian Neil

Lee Reynolds

Richard Todman

Susanna Lenton

Nicole Alphonce

Joanne Dixon

Roger Evans

Anabel Kutay

Jill McCullough

Lily O'Hara

Arron Cuthbertson

Paul McGuigan

Matt Greenhalgh

Barbara Broccoli

Colin Vaines

J. Ralph

Urszula Pontikos

Nick Emerson

Eve Stewart

Matt Sharp

Tom Weaving

Liz Griffiths

Julie Atkins

Laura Viana da Silva

Sarah Alice Hoyle

Paul Davies

John Midgley

Brendan Nicholson

Richard Pryke

Andie Davies

Annabelle Hood

Romance

Drama

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

EON Productions

IM Global

Lionsgate

United Kingdom

English

1970s

biography

liverpool, england

cancer

based on memoir or autobiography

older woman younger man relationship

fading star

Peter McGinn

I really liked Annette Bening in films like Regarding Henry and An American President, so I am a little surprised I didn’t catch this film closer to its release date. It is an excellent movie, well written and with strong acting across the board. The drama queen movie star is nearly a movie cliche, but it isn’t overplayed here by Bening or the script. M

When movies are based on real people I tend to do a little research out of curiosity, and Gloria Grahame’s life story is an interesting one. She made medical decisions that were destined to shorten her life, but one can argue that it reflected her overall attitude and the fact that she packed the days of her life more than most of us manage to do. And I was quite surprised to learn she had been merely 16 years old when she played bombshell blonde Violet on It’s a Wonderful Life. She seemed to be one of those people the camera loves.

Of course this movie is based on a memoir written by Gloria’s younger lover Peter Turner who, as happens in other biopics, is given a cameo appearance in this movie. Of course, he was an actor in hos own right, so it wasn’t an empty gesture.

CinemaSerf

Based on Peter Turner's book, this is quite a touching story of the last few years of Gloria Grahame's battle against breast cancer. She (Annette Bening) had been struggling with the disease for many years but refused to let it defeat her when she arrived in the UK to perform on stage. That's when she encounters the young Peter (Jamie Bell). He's struggling to make a living treading the boards, and at just twenty-eight is completely unaware of the Hollywood pedigree of his new neighbour. Quickly they are much more than that; she is introduced to his family and then he is whisked off to the US to meet her's. There is quite a contrast between the affection she receives from his mother (Julie Walters) and that which he receives from her's (Vanessa Redgrave) and we start to see strains in their relationship. The audience is aware of the reasons for some of the strains, but Peter is not. Not until he has returned home and she returns for a fling on stage that, well that's where history takes over. It's quite a poignantly presented story with at times lively, at others more considered performances from both Bening and Bell. They have fun, and it's easy to see why she falls for this diverting young man who makes her feel alive again. He is completely smitten, too - but his affections more visceral. It's also quite an interesting look at just how a woman once so fêted and honoured by her profession was now reduced to sharing lodgings and doing English provincial theatre to pay the bills. Almost completely ignored on the awards circuit - perhaps it was just a bit too close to home?

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool Featurette - Annette Bening on Gloria Grahame (2017) | Movieclips

Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool | Official Trailer HD (2017)

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool( 2017)

Love, just like in the movies.

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A review by Peter McGinn

Written by Peter McGinn on Wed Jul 20 2022

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