Looking Out My Back Door

UPDATE: "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers" -- Why Do We Listen To Film Critics?

At the Golden Globe Awards, presented Sunday evening, two of the big winners were:
• BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS (HBO)
DeMann Entertainment/Company Pictures/BBC Films/HBO Films

• BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
GEOFFREY RUSH
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS

To all the critics that panned this great telefilm: kiss my grits.

I sometimes wonder why I bother reading film reviews; it's rare that I agree with them. Look at "Meet The Fockers" -- generally dismissed by the critics, it's grossed more than$200 million and is now among the Top 50 moneymaking movies. Of all time. Ha. Oh, and I laughed myself silly, especially when Streisand and Hoffman were on the screen. In "Meet The Parents," my first bellylaugh came early, in the scene that involved an urn, some ashes and Mr. Jinx. I honestly can't remember when "Meet The Fockers" first got the same reaction, but I know it was early (and often).

"The Aviator" looked great in the Vanity Fair cover feature a couple of issues ago. Terrific stunt casting, lots of good material to work with, and the genius of Martin Scorsese. Too bad the film didn't live up to its promise. I would have concentrated more on the characters so well portrayed (albeit briefly) by Jude "Errol Flynn" Law, Kate "Ava Gardner" Beckinsale, Alec "Juan Trippe" Baldwin, and even Gwen "Jean Harlow" Stefani. Cate Blanchett's Katharine Hepburn was good, but too much time was devoted to that one character (and even to her family). It could have been so much better. Still, it got Globes for Best Movie (Drama) and Best Actor (Drama), Leonardo DiCaprio, but remember, these Globes are awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Oscars are voted for by industry people -- actors, directors, and the like. Not critics.

Congratulations to Geoffrey Rush and everyone involved in bringing "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers" to the small screen. I do hope you release it on DVD so more people can enjoy a great biopic of this quirky, troubled genius of an actor.

posted by Hopster @ 11:56 AM