The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)

A co-production from the BBC and HBO, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS is a dramatization of the late comic actor's life. Geoffrey Rush (SHINE) stars as Sellers, delivering a performance that vacillates between the light and dark sides of Sellers' personality. Rush portrays Sellers' many cinematic triumphs - including a wonderful turn as bumbling detective Inspector Clouseau - as well as offering a glimpse into his harrowing personal life. Taking his radio work with THE GOON SHOW as a starting point, director Stephen Hopkins traces Sellers descent into the hands of his own personal demons. Illustrating how Sellers' relationship with his mother deeply affected him, Hopkins' film progresses to show how his personal failings began to get the better of him. Known for having an uncontrollable temper and succumbing to many bouts of selfish and explosively violent, temper-tantrums, Sellers hit some remarkable low points in his life. The film is a portrait of a highly schizophrenic performer who couldn't bring even a modicum of the happiness he gave to millions of people on the cinema screen into his personal life.