Peter Sellers was a troubled individual. With no clear identity of his own and the mother of all mother fixations, he inhabited personas as we might a new shirt: with a joyful enthusiasm for the garment that soon gave way to indifference and disdain. At least, that’s the impression from Stephen Hopkins’ biopic about the celebrated comic whose renowned self-flagellation bore acting genius. Yet for every Dr Strangelove or Inspector Clouseau, Sellers’ irregular career turned out a pitiable Fiendish Plot of Dr Fu Manchu. His first marriage was shattered by an infatuation for Sophia Loren; his second to Britt Ekland crumbled under the pressure of stardom. “Who am I?” he asks Stanley Kubrick. “Whoever I want you to be,” was the reply. “You’ve no idea what it’s like to be me,” retorted an angry Sellers. With such visceral material Geoffrey Rush, in the title role, stands on a surprisingly solid foundation given Hopkins’ unlikely CV which includes Lost In Space. Within minutes Rush embodies the empty vessel and never lets go of any one of Peter Sellers many idiosyncrasies. Aside from this extraordinary performance and solid support from Emily Watson, Charlize Theron and Miriam Margoyles as Mummy, what makes this such an exceptional film is Hopkins’ construction. He employs varied palates and stock to mimic the period but the stroke of genius is ‘behind camera’ confessionals from principle characters performed by Rush. It’s particularly unnerving to see him as Sellers as Mummy and to see him achieve this so effortlessly. The Life and Death of Peter Sellers is many things; funny, incisive, melancholy and a major achievemetn but above all it’s an especially rewarding film. One you shouldn’t miss. // COLIN FRASER