Film: Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool

Once I get past the fact that the film star who first broke through in the 1950s has had an affair with someone her son’s age in the 1980s, it is good to see a film based in Britain.The films serves as a big stage for Annette Bening who is almost in every scene as film star, Gloria Grahame. It’s one of those films that start in the ‘present’ and then has flashbacks to tell us how the characters are where they are. This is how we learn how Grahame meets fellow actor Peter Turner (Jamie Bell) when she was appearing in a London play. Also why she turns up in Liverpool sometime later.It’s made more remarkable in that it’s based on a true story (Turner’s memoirs) so it’s a real slice of old silver screen glamour meets the back streets of 1980s Liverpool.Julie Walters tops of the excellent cast playing Turner’s mum (rather than Jamie Bell’s dance teacher this time: ‘reunited and it feels so good’). Even though his parents were fans of Grahame back in the day, her welcome into their home when the film star re-appears in England is thoroughly warm and believable.I can’t really fault it and it makes me want to read the book.8/10