Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool

Annette Bening and Jamie Bell give the performance of a lifetime in Film Stars don’t Die in Liverpool. The film follows the story of actress Gloria Grahame and her friend and lover Peter Turner. Turner was Grahame’s final love interest before passing away in 1981.

The film is based on a memoir of the same name written by Peter Turner in 1986. In the memoir, Turner recounts his and Grahame’s time together in New York, Los Angeles and in her final days in Liverpool.

Gloria Grahame lived a very scandalous life during her acting years. She had many love interests and four children before meeting Turner in 1978. Grahame was an Oscar-winning household name in the 40s and 50s. Her career took a downward spiral after the media blasted her for marrying her stepson.

The fact that Grahame was almost 30 years older than Turner was a great taboo in the 1980s. The love affair between Turner, who was 26 at the time, and Grahame, who was 54, is shown in a modern light throughout the film.

The film switches between time periods of when Grahame and Turner are happy together and when Gloria returns into his life after becoming seriously ill in 1981. Grahame had kept her cancer a secret from Turner and her own family. She believed she “could get better in [Liverpool]” under the care of Turner and his mother Bella.

Award-winning director Paul McGuigan takes the audience on a journey concerning the tragic romance of a fallen Hollywood film star. Grahame’s off-screen story of her later years is conveyed beautifully through exciting camera shots and angles and a boundless soundtrack.

Bening portrays Grahame with grace and poise, capturing her beautiful and carefree attitude perfectly. Through Bening we catch glimpses of the real Grahame through the use of her classic breathy, sexy voice and her famous cotton ball pout. A very short time period of Grahame’s life is told in Film Stars don’t Die in Liverpool but Bening portrays Grahame at her most fragile point of life.

The tragic story of Gloria Grahame who put herself in isolation after Hollywood shunned her, takes a beautiful turn as her final days are spent in the company of someone who truly loved her. The audience is taken high and low throughout this unknown tale of Gloria Grahame. This film is a must see for anyone who loves romantic dramas.

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool 
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