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Reviews
Toryboy the Movie (2010)
ToryBoy RULES!!!
I have just seen this film at the Tricycle Cinema with a Q&A from director John Walsh. Wow what an experience. This was the first time I had seen a documentary on the big screen. The idea didn't appeal and I went mainly to hear the Q&A as I am a journalist wanting to get into film making. The premise of this film is simple but very effective. John Walsh was a lifelong Labour Party voter and decides to stand for Parliament. Rather than stand for Labour he defects and stand for rival Conservative instead.
I thought this was an indie job move and that John Walsh was intending to expose the Conservative Party. No, to my surprise the film is about a genuine conversion and then what came next had me asking friends, just how long was this film? Turns out it was 100mins. The time flew by. Walsh uncovers a story that I will not spoil by going into here, but shows some gaping flaws in our political system and a rot in the north eastern town Middlesbrough that most people will have thought was a thing of the past.
Top marks to John Walsh for having massive balls of steel to make this film and putting himself at the very heart of the subject. I would vote for him, when you see the film I think you will too.
Monarch (2000)
Fit For a King
I missed this film the first time round, but this just making 'finding' it now all the more intriguing. This is a cleverly simply story set in one stormy night in a house. There is a break in and then things start to kick off. Sounds like the outline for a low budget crime thriller right? No – this is period costume drama set during one night in the life of English King Henry 8th. The one who killed almost all of his wives.
From a grunge indie inception to a full blow 35mm cinema experience this film certainly challenges the perception about first time feature films and their directors. John Walsh was 26 when he wrote, produced, directed and edited this mini epic.
The cast is headed by Irish acting legend, the now late TP McKenna as King Henry and a ghostly appearance of Jean Marsh as one more of his former wives. Given the tight budget and innovative style, I would like to see what Hollywood makes of him.