Burton and Taylor

Legendary acting duo and married couple Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor prepare for a 1983 theatrical production of the play "Private Lives."

For a mere $70,000 a week (each), the now sober Richard Burton (Dominic West) is convinced by the not so sober, pill-popping, Elizabeth Taylor (Helena Bonham Carter) to reunite and star in a version of Noêl Coward's "Private Lives". He has other irons in the fire, not least an impending new wife and an opportunity of a lifetime to play "Lear" so isn't so keen but she is persuasive. After almost false-starting on night one, they duly turn up and though the critics absolutely loathe it, the fans initially throughly enjoy what they see as the real lives of these two stars being enthusiastically and acerbically presented using the stage as a conduit for their bickering. Burton is narked that it's his ex-wife fans want to see whilst she selfishly keeps on hitting the bottle. When the audiences do start to dwindle and the show is halted, the pair face the nearest thing either can imagine to a fait accompli - but do they care? It is entertaining at times with both actors looking like they are enjoying this once in a lifetime opportunity to play this torrid partnership with gusto and a tiny bit of venom. Despite their best endeavours, though, it looks like the producers were more concerned about it's rating, and the thing has a sterile tameness that lets it down a bit. They are going through the motions of a vitriolic and addictive relationship but it just doesn't land enough punches - physically or metaphorically. It's watchable, but nothing special at all.