Portobella

I was so close to leaving the cinema half way through this film, but stayed. And the best bits are actually in the 2nd half so Im giving it 6 stars instead of the 4 which the first half deserved. However, I still dont think this is a good movie. Fantastic visually yes, for Sorrentino is a master of unforgettable filmic tableaus, but that just isn't enough.

The overall problem...There is no plot, it's more a series of separate scenes on narcissism, or rather that's how they come across. I think Sorrentino wanted to create something profound but the result feels contrived and sad.

And then there's the anticlimactic ending - a sudden flash forward 50 years to an oddly empty/vacant character that is Parthenope in her 70s. What? Why?

I was always fond of Hugh Grant but after this series and Heretic I more than love him! A Very English Scandal is based on the true story of Liberal member of Parliament Jeremy Thorpe and his homosexual affair which ended in scandal. The production, script and 99 percent of the cast are excellent but Ben Whishaw simply ruins it for me. I apologize but I don't get this actor's apparent star status at all. He sucks all spark out of a scene with his oddly martyrish 5-year-old persona, just like he ruined the Paddington films with his unsuitably depressed voice. So overrated! I would have rated this 10 with a more gifted actor as Jeremy Thorpe's narcissist lover.