Telstar

Nick Moran's pop biopic charting the rise and fall of sixties record producer Joe Meek - the man who achieved Britain's first Number One in the US and turned down The Beatles. From his makeshift studio in Holloway Road, Meek (Con O'Neill) discovers hits, misses, drugs and homosexuality before events take a tragic turn. Supporting cast includes Kevin Spacey, JJ Feild, James Corden and Carl Barat.

Trevor Johnston, Time Out: Overall, we're indebted to Nick Moran's film for putting the Joe Meek story, in all its gumption and strangeness, back in the spotlight. The film is at its best when Con O'Neill's full-on Meek has an ensemble to act against. However, as the tone darkens and O'Neill's left carrying the story on his own, it's less compelling, exposing the fact that the script never really gets inside Meek's head. (Verdict: 3 stars out of 5)
James Christopher, the Times: Nick Moran's film... has the high-camp flavour of a Joe Orton farce. It's an intense performance by the burly O'Neill, and it doesn't leave much oxygen for sympathy. The boardroom tussles with Kevin Spacey, who plays Meek's tweedy business partner Major Banks, are rare bits of fruity joy. But otherwise this chamber piece is a gloomy watch. (Verdict: 3 stars out of 5)

Kevin Harley, Total Film: Moran clearly delineates Meek's missteps and misfortunes, but he isn't so sure on digging beneath his skin. Flash-forwards play like half-baked stabs at making [Moran's original stage] play feel cinematic. Instead, they force a sense of fatalism that mutes dramatic tension, making the finale and its slight revelations feel depressing rather than tragic. (Verdict: 3 stars out of 5) ·