Joe Meek, a figure of the the English pop scene in the early 1960s is the subject of this biopic which we caught recently on a cable channel. It is based on a play by James Hicks and adapted for the screen by the playwright and director Nick Moran. The film tries to make sense on the life of a man that was an enigma, even to his own contemporaries.
The portrait of this troubled man who tried to give his country and the rest of the music world the sounds he had in his mind, does not completely clarify for someone not acquainted with that era of what Joe Meek was able to accomplish. His life went from highs to periods where he could not even pay the rent of the space he used atop a leather goods store on Holloway Road.
Adding complexity to the story is Meek's own homosexuality and his infatuation with Heinz Burt, a blond aspiring singer who showed no talent. The groups he sponsored ended up breaking away from him and the royalties of his one smash hit ended in a battle with his own backer, Major Wilfred Banks. The irony being that Joe Meek did not live long to enjoy some of the money the French court awarded him.
The film is worth a look because of Con O'Neill's performance as Joe Meek. Having only seen him on stage during his "Blood Brothers" success, we were curious to see him on the screen. He does not disappoint. Kevin Spacey appears as Major Banks. The excellent Pam Ferris is Violet, the landlady of the property where Joe Meek set up as his primitive studio. J. J. Feild is Heinz, Joe's first protégé.
The film has been given that faded look to take the viewers back to the early 60s and the rock scene in Britain with the good camera work by Peter Wignall. The audience will probably have trouble recognizing some of he hits from those years that pop on in the movie.
The portrait of this troubled man who tried to give his country and the rest of the music world the sounds he had in his mind, does not completely clarify for someone not acquainted with that era of what Joe Meek was able to accomplish. His life went from highs to periods where he could not even pay the rent of the space he used atop a leather goods store on Holloway Road.
Adding complexity to the story is Meek's own homosexuality and his infatuation with Heinz Burt, a blond aspiring singer who showed no talent. The groups he sponsored ended up breaking away from him and the royalties of his one smash hit ended in a battle with his own backer, Major Wilfred Banks. The irony being that Joe Meek did not live long to enjoy some of the money the French court awarded him.
The film is worth a look because of Con O'Neill's performance as Joe Meek. Having only seen him on stage during his "Blood Brothers" success, we were curious to see him on the screen. He does not disappoint. Kevin Spacey appears as Major Banks. The excellent Pam Ferris is Violet, the landlady of the property where Joe Meek set up as his primitive studio. J. J. Feild is Heinz, Joe's first protégé.
The film has been given that faded look to take the viewers back to the early 60s and the rock scene in Britain with the good camera work by Peter Wignall. The audience will probably have trouble recognizing some of he hits from those years that pop on in the movie.