Conversely, Carter's Taylor embraces the idea that she's the center of attention yet again, even going as far as to mug to her adoring fans. Carter is perfect here, giving a performance that ranks with her career-best and reminding viewers what she can do when given a complex role. She walks a fine line with her Elizabeth Taylor, not going pure impersonation but instead finding the vulnerability and fragile ego of a very complex woman.

A key element to the overall success of "Burton and Taylor" is that we have to believe in the chemistry of the actors playing the legendary couple. When you see Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor on film now, it's easy to see why they were so passionate off-screen as well. There's an undefinable spark in their interactions that West and Carter find with grace and ease. They're both very good here on their own but it's the scenes in which they interact that elevate the piece above standard movie history fare. The way Carter finds Taylor's unique speaking pattern and makes it sound real or the look West gives her that somehow carries both love and hatred, it's the little connections between the leads that gives the film its spark. It feels like they have history together, which gives the film a foundation of drama that it wouldn't otherwise have.

Admittedly, I did wonder halfway through if Liz herself would have found "Burton and Taylor" boring. It's undeniably well-made, largely due to the remarkable central performances, but Liz Taylor is such a larger-than-life character in the history of film and theater that it can be hard to capture her personality in a TV movie, especially one that focuses so intently on a small chapter of her life. I also felt a bit of false melodrama in the final act but the production never quite goes off that edge, thanks in part to being a brisk 82 minutes.

"Burton and Taylor" doesn't feel like it sets out to be the definitive statement on either of its characters, just a well-made recreation of their swan song as a celebrity couple. They may have moved on to other relationships by the time they agreed to star in "Private Lives," but they were still "Burton and Taylor," icons of stage and screen. "Liz and Dick" were buried by tabloids, booze, pills, two divorces, and the inevitability of aging. But "Burton and Taylor" carried on.

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