Telstar

Telstar is the biopic of legendary 60s music producer Joe Meek, who from a tiny studio above a shop in London’s Holloway Road, produced the top-selling pop hit Telstar with The Tornadoes. Nick Moran’s feature debut, an adaptation of his own play, shows that success in the music business can be both fickle and precarious. Produced by Crystal Palace’s Simon Jordan, the film charts Meek’s partnership with songwriter Geoff Goddard (Burke), explores his homosexuality and later shows how paranoia took over. It's an anarchic mix, blending cameos like Justin Hawkins as Screaming Lord Sutch, JJ Feild as temperamental star Heinz, and an underused Kevin Spacey as producer Major Banks. The film packs a lot into what amounts to a visual assault on the senses that doesn’t always allow the humour to come through. It’s entertaining though, with moments of raw emotion. Con O’Neill is excellent as Meek and it will appeal strongest to those with an interest in this maverick musical genius.