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MARK TURNER holds on tight for a mesmerising display of Neath-born ragtime virtuosity
Radical responses from a star turn
JOHN GREEN recommends a documentary on actor Sean Penn's support for progressive social and political causes
ALAN MORRISON introduces a UK poet whose despised daytime occupation provides the subject for his writing
MARK TURNER wallows in the virtuosity of Swansea Jazz Festival openers, Simon Spillett and Pete Long
PAUL DONOVAN recommends three new books that explore the human relationship with nature
Doomed adolescents, when the missing person is you, classic whodunnit, and an anti-capitalist eco-thriller
WILL STONE takes a ticket to indie disco heaven, but misses the rarely performed tunes
Citizen Penn: The Role of a Lifetime
Directed by Don Hardy
WHEN you hear the name of actor, director and screenwriter Sean Penn, you might either be struck with admiration or cringe.
But what is undeniable is that he is a man of strong views who acts on them without a thought about image or status. On top of his film career, he is a political and social activist and his commitment and progressive politics can hardly be faulted, as demonstrated in this documentary about his work in Haiti.
Yet some may perceive it as Penn acting the superman hero in his own brash Hollywood drama and perhaps something more low key and self-effacing would have been more appropriate. But that would not be Sean Penn.
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