This week’s film releases - October 31

Mr Turner (12A) is the latest film from one of this country’s most revered directors, Mike Leigh.

It centres on the final 20 years or so of the life of British painter J M W Turner.

Turner’s works of art are evocative and priceless.

However, when he was alive he brought mixed emotions from the public and his peers, thanks to various romances and a unique style of painting.

Timothy Spall plays the man himself, and he even had several art lessons to get a better feel for the role.

Early reviews are glowing about Spall’s performance.

Nightcrawler (15) stars Jake Gyllenhaal who is also flagged up for recognition come awards time.

However, the subject matter isn’t the sort that the judges are normally comfortable with.

Gyllenhaal, who lost an amazing amount of weight to look haggard, is Louis Bloom, a man looking to make money by moving into the world of crime journalism.

However, the line between observer and participant starts to blur.