The Hippopotamus (John Jencks, 2017)

A boozy, misanthropic burnt-out poet is tasked by his goddaughter to investigate supposed miracles at an estranged friend's country house in an adaptation of Stephen Fry's comic novel. Roger Allam attacks the character, so clearly Fry's caustically uninhibited alter-ego, with unbridled gusto and his expletive-ridden diatribes, bon mots and misbehaviour sustain the film until about halfway through, by which stage they have become tedious and then the enterprise is left running on empty as the plot itself is far too slender to impart much point to carrying on. Fry's smart turns of phrase just aren't quite enough for a full-blooded feature on this occasion, as amusing as they might be at times.

5/10