Love, Cecil review: A well-rounded, insightful portrait of a remarkable life
CECIL Beaton always wanted to be famous.
During his lifetime he achieved immense renown as a war photographer, writer, dandy and fashion designer.
He was responsible for the stunning costumes in My Fair Lady and shot some of the finest pictures of the Royal Family and reclusive celebrities including Greta Garbo.
Love, Cecil pays fond but not uncritical tribute to a man who described himself as “tormented by ambition.”
Based around archive interviews with Beaton, amazing photos and film clips, it also makes extensive use of excerpts from his many diaries, read by a languorous Rupert Everett.
Beaton had love affairs with men and an obsession with Garbo that led to a marriage proposal but his relentless appetite for work seemed to provide his most lasting happiness.
Love, Cecil offers a well-rounded, insightful portrait of a remarkable life.