Steven Hallmark

AN armful of Oscars should have been winging their way to the filmmakers behind this tremendous work.

The story, not surprisingly, of the life of 60s comedy icon Peter Sellers is fascinating, intricately woven and brilliantly acted.

Some very intelligent storytelling means that a complex and dramatic life is portrayed with style and subtlety.

The story starts with the Goons at the height of their fame on the radio and follows Sellers through his subsequent film career and liaisons with some of the world's most beautiful women.

Geoffrey Rush is sublime in the leading role, showing an abundance of the sort of mimicry and acting talent that Sellers so clearly had. And it must have been hard playing someone who is so well known and was such an unsympathetic character to betray.

Sellers' rages, selfishness and self-delusion make him a very difficult man to like but the talent is there for all to see.

The stunning Charlize Theron is tremendous as Britt Ekland and John Lithgow manages to capture the brash, over the top Blake Edwards.

There are so many good performances that there are too many to mention - but Rush is, of course, the complete star of the show.

A brilliant actor who is always worth watching.