At his best, Peter Sellers was one of the funniest men ever to appear onscreen, creating such much-loved characters as The Pink Panther’s Inspector Clouseau and The Party’s Hrundi V Bakshi.  In other films his talents enabled him to play multiple characters, such as Dr Strangelove’s President Muffley, Lionel Mandrake and the title character. He was to have played Major Kong in that film as well, but couldn’t find the character. Even more elusive for Sellers was the character of Peter Sellers himself, a difficulty that extends to the makers of this biopic. 

For despite a brilliant performance by Geoffrey Rush in the title role, the filmmakers seem more intent on bringing attention to themselves rather than throw any light on their subject. Indicative of this is the gimmick of having Rush, as Sellers, portray the multiple characters of Seller’s parents and directors. Though each give their individual perspective of the man, their summations remain stubbornly unilluminating.  

Nevertheless, there are still a few rays of sunshine in this otherwise humourless film, not least of which are Rush’s mimicking of The Goon Show's characters, and the amusing off-screen encounters Sellers has while still ‘in character’ of Clouseau and Strangelove.

Sellers once remarked “If you ask me to play myself, I will not know what to do. I do not know who or what I am.” After watching this biopic, the viewer remains equally mystified.