Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (2017)

A romance sparks between a young actor and a Hollywood leading lady.

Director:

Paul McGuigan

Writers:

Peter Turner (based on the book "Films Stars Don't Die in Liverpool" by), Matt Greenhalgh (screenplay by)

Stars:

Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, Kenneth Cranham

Nominated for 3 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 2 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Annette Bening	...	Gloria Grahame
Jamie Bell	...	Peter Turner
Kenneth Cranham	...	Joe Snr
Julie Walters	...	Bella
Jodie McNee	...	Jessie
Stephen Graham	...	Joe Jnr
Joanna Brookes	...	Didi
Pete Lee-Wilson	...	Barman
Jay Villiers	...	Georgie
Marina Bye	...	PR Person
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Jean
Frances Barber	...	Joy
Pandora Colin	...	Surgeon
Alexander Arnold	...	Anaesthetist
Gemma Oaten	...	Patient

Storyline

Real life proves to be just as dramatic off-screen as it does on it for aging Hollywood superstar Gloria Grahame (Annette Bening) and her much younger lover, Peter Turner (Jamie Bell). As their mismatched romance waxes and wanes over time, events conspire to keep them in each other's lives even when it proves to be 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.

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Plot Keywords:

female nudity | older woman younger man relationship | based on real person | age difference in relationship | year 1979 | 

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Taglines:

Love, Just Like in the Movies

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some sexual content and brief nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

Annette Bening had the rare opportunity to meet with Terry Moore, an old friend of Gloria Grahame who played her stepmother in Man on a Tightrope (1953). Moore and Grahame had attended the Academy Awards on the night Moore was nominated for Come Back, Little Sheba (1952) and Grahame won for The Bad and the Beautiful (1952). Annette was able to learn that Grahame was quite a private person who'd never discuss her husband or family life in general. She was also so stubborn that Director Elia Kazan only managed to get her to weep for a scene in Man on a Tightrope (1953) by telling her that co-star Moore was a better actress.

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Quotes

Peter Turner: Has anyone ever told you that you look like Lauren Bacall when you smoke?
Gloria Grahame: Humphrey Bogart. And I didn't like it then either.

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Connections

References Crossfire (1947)

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Soundtracks

You Shouldn't Look at Me That Way
Written by Elvis Costello
Performed by Elvis Costello
Published by Universal Music Publishing MBG Ltd
Courtesy of Elvis Costello

User Reviews

Annette Bening robbed by the Oscars yet AGAIN

"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.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 November 2017 (UK)

Also Known As:

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$36,048, 31 December 2017

Gross USA:

$1,026,124

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,047,917

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eon Productions, Synchronistic Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1