Starring Peter Sellers and Shirley MacLaine
Written by Jerzy Kosiński
Directed by Hal Ashby
USA 1979
130 mins
Peter Sellers - the star of 'Being There' - is one of cinema's true comic geniuses. Along with Chaplin, Keaton and a handful of others his perfect timing and extraordinary physical precision imbue any role that he inhabits not only with truth but also sympathy. He was also incredibly funny. From bloody-minded shop stewards to smooth-talking criminals and bumbling detectives to demented Nazi scientists Sellers' talent and range knew no bounds. His career had its ups and downs but he was never better than in this film playing a simple-minded gardener who by accident becomes a powerful political adviser in Washington - without having a clue of how or why.
A prescient script full of pregnant pauses and meaningful silences plus beautiful direction by Hal Ashby (the genius who made 'Shampoo', 'The Last Detail' and 'Harold and Maude) make 'Being There' one of the finest comedies of the 70s or any other era. It was Sellers last great film and a fitting swansong - he died just a year after its release at just 54 years old.
Watch and marvel at how little he seems to do and to what great effect...
