Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool is a 2017 romantic drama directed by Paul McGuigan and starring Annette Bening and Jamie Bell.The movie is based on a true story - as told by Peter Turner in his memoir - regarding an intimate relationship between an aging Hollywood actress, Gloria Grahame and a young English actor (Turner). The story occurs during the 1970s (mostly in Liverpool, UK), and following Grahame's death from breast cancer (she basically spent her last days in Turner's parents' house in Liverpool).
On the one hand, this is an important gerontological movie: it touches on one of the ageist and sexist issues around intimacy and aging: the relationship between older women and young men.
[I must admit that I've actually wrote an article on a similar issue:
"The role of law in adjudicating disputes caused by old men marrying young women:
http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/ElderLawRw/2002/12.html
Like other ageist constructions of age, it is still difficult for society to view intimate and loving relationships between older women and young men as "normal" or "normative". We always look for hidden motives - on both sides, as "naturally" such relations cannot exist: how can young men be attracted to "ugly"/non-sexy older women? And what would old women "get" from young men other than sex? Therefore, a movie challenging these societal stereotypes through this beautiful human relationship between aging Grahame (played by Bening) and young Turner (played by Bell) is of much importance and is well performed.
On the other hand, while beautifully filmed, the movie was also disappointing for me: the dialogues between aging Grahame and young Turner give us very little understanding of the nature their relationships. There is no real "depth" in their exchange of ideas, experiences of feelings. The movie ended and I felt that - at least for me - many answers were left unanswered. It seems to me that the true reality behind the story of Grahame and Turner is much richer than the one portrayed in the movie. I highly recommend reading more (on the web) about Gloria Grahame's life and death - and may be this is the best outcome of watching this movie.
2017
UK
Director: Paul McGuigan
Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCwt4kYWOHA
Comments