unrelieved stuffiness and write by julian mitchell from his play and chronicle the true life account of homosexual prep school lad guy bennett in 1930s london who later become a spy for the russian . director marek kanievska chooses to sequence the film colorlessly in flashback and with aloof rupert everett posturing and purse his modulate lip in continual pensiveness ( he have one expression to express every emotion ) . the british play be very popular and for reason which be not evident here . the burnished cinematography by peter biziou and fine support performance from colin firth ( in his debut ) and cary elwes do help and yet i find this picture extremely cold and rather indifferently make . from .