The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee

Hugely original documentary with the sublime Peter Serafinowicz speaking as Lee throughout and as a sort of Gerry Anderson puppet. This works so very well and adds a degree of affection around the man that many film star documentaries don't. Obviously aside from the auto biographical narration, there is a great deal of factual information tracing his childhood, his secretive wartime experiences, his musical aspirations - mmm, and of course his record breaking number of films, many of which were great, many not.

The fascinating thing that comes out throughout this is the really really huge affection in which he is held by the likes of family, friends as well as luminaries John Landis, Joe Dante and Peter Jackson, who all get a bit choked talking about him. They all seem to say the same thing in that he was never satisfied with what he did, was always quite nervous and really didn't understand how much people wanted to work with him and watch him. Jackson summed him up best I think when he said that Lee never really got to properly understand the balance between what his horror work contributed to the world of cinema and how much he was loved with what he considered was his best work towards the end of his life eg Jinnah, Lord of the Rings etc. A gloriously touching and sort of sad documentary.

2 things to note:

• the scene where he's laughing with a very old Peter Cushing is quite the loveliest thing.

• I don't know why they didn't mention The Three Musketeers which I thought he was great in.