The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers (2005)

Movie star. Man-child. Maybe a manic-depressive. A familiar diagnosis for a comic genius, but this biopic's treatment is different: Make a film, The Life and Death of Peter Sellars that plays like one of Sellers', with Golden Globe winner Geoffrey Rush portraying the selfish yet never self-reflective actor — and those closest to him, too. Emily Watson radiates understated grace as first wife Anne, and Charlize Theron smolders as stunning (but near-silent) wife No. 2. EXTRAS Eight deleted scenes find Rush wearing even more wigs. The making-of doc boasts a classic Blake Edwards remembrance of Sellers claiming God had offered him acting advice, then delivering an unfunny, over-the-top take: ''The Blake Edwards in me came out, and I said, 'Do me a favor, Peter. The next time you talk to God, tell him to stay the hell out of show business.''' In their commentary, Rush and director Stephen Hopkins discuss the actor's dance skills and Sellers' ''bizarre'' home-video footage of himself and Stanley Kubrick playing tennis. The writers, meanwhile, detail their collaboration and deny penning the Peter-on-the-pot ''plopping'' bit.

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