Barbaric Genius

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Barbaric Genius

2011

1h 14m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

60%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

John Healy evolves from a street mugger and drunk to a chess champion and award-winning author, then a single act brings him crashing down again.

Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph (UK)

[Convinces] us of an obscured talent whose lack of exposure remains something of a mystery.

Rated: 3/5

May 25, 2012

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

The film skirts around his emotional life, but it's a gripping study.

Rated: 4/5

May 24, 2012

Full Review

Antonia Quirke

Financial Times

This is a sad film about the fate of the writer John Healy, who survived a brutal childhood and spent the whole of the 1960s drunk in the parks of London's Camden Town.

Rated: 3/5

May 24, 2012

Full Review

Joseph Walsh

CineVue

The films overall structure and a number of holes in the story tremendously weaken Duane's documentary.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 23, 2018

Full Review

Philip French

Observer (UK)

Fascinating.

May 28, 2012

Full Review

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Paul Duane

Director

Robert McCrum

Actor

Paul Duane

Producer

Mary Carson

Producer

Ian de Brí

Film Editing

Colm O'Brien

Film Editing

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Synopsis

John Healy evolves from a street mugger and drunk to a chess champion and award-winning author, then a single act brings him crashing down again.

Director: Paul Duane
Producer: Paul Duane, Mary Carson
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 20, 2014
Runtime: 1h 14m

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