Rock and Roll
URGA MOTW
The Boat That Rocked
Richard Curtis has created yet another great film - this time it's all about the pirate radio stations of the 1960s. The movie focuses on the announcers and producers of Radio Rock, a ship anchored in the North Sea playing rock and roll and pop music 24 hours a day, whereas on mainland Britain, the BBC plays less than 45 minutes a day. We also see some of the story from the point of view of the Minister in charge of shutting the pirate stations down, and the quest he goes on to do so.
The main reason this film works is because of the great array of quirky characters - they are all quite humourous in their own way, but yet all of them are given a fair go at actually being real, believable characters and not one-note joke cardboard cutouts. It's a wonderful cast of great comedians and actors - Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Rhys Darby, Jack Davenport, Chris O'Dowd, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nick Frost, Katherine Parkinson, and an unrecognisable Kenneth Brannagh as the Minister. He just looked so different that I didn't spot it was him until the credits rolled... There's quite a few other cast members in significant roles, but they're not names I am all that familiar with.
The film throws together character comedy, emotional drama and the classic hits of the 60's into a great story - plotwise it's rather thin "Government tries to shut down pirate radio station" but there's lots of little vignettes told of the life aboard this radio-broadcasting ship leading up to an emotional finale (which I won't spoil!)
Quite an entertaining way to spend a few hours, especially if you like 60's Rock and roll.
9/10
The Boat That Rocked
Richard Curtis has created yet another great film - this time it's all about the pirate radio stations of the 1960s. The movie focuses on the announcers and producers of Radio Rock, a ship anchored in the North Sea playing rock and roll and pop music 24 hours a day, whereas on mainland Britain, the BBC plays less than 45 minutes a day. We also see some of the story from the point of view of the Minister in charge of shutting the pirate stations down, and the quest he goes on to do so.
The main reason this film works is because of the great array of quirky characters - they are all quite humourous in their own way, but yet all of them are given a fair go at actually being real, believable characters and not one-note joke cardboard cutouts. It's a wonderful cast of great comedians and actors - Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Rhys Darby, Jack Davenport, Chris O'Dowd, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nick Frost, Katherine Parkinson, and an unrecognisable Kenneth Brannagh as the Minister. He just looked so different that I didn't spot it was him until the credits rolled... There's quite a few other cast members in significant roles, but they're not names I am all that familiar with.
The film throws together character comedy, emotional drama and the classic hits of the 60's into a great story - plotwise it's rather thin "Government tries to shut down pirate radio station" but there's lots of little vignettes told of the life aboard this radio-broadcasting ship leading up to an emotional finale (which I won't spoil!)
Quite an entertaining way to spend a few hours, especially if you like 60's Rock and roll.
9/10