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[film] The Boat that Rocked
Thursday, April 9th, 2009 10:11 amThe Boat that Rocked.
Sometimes, piracy is the only option ... Ooops, sorry, wrong film: though it does have Jack Davenport vowing to eradicate ev0l pirates. Also, BILL NIGHY who is as a god.
Loosely, very loosely, based on the history of Radio Caroline, The Boat that Rocked is an ensemble comedy that feels -- at least for the first half -- like a collection of anecdotes, interspersed with scenes of pop music fans, Radio Rock listeners, all over Britain bouncing around / listening in the dark / getting high, and rocking out to an excellent Sixties soundtrack. Highly romanticised (for instance, nobody is ever sea-sick!) and with a heartwarming finale: typical British comedy.
But it's a good ensemble: Bill Nighy is fantastic, as is Philip Seymour Hoffman (who really, really reminded me of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
pugwash). The Sixties feel (loud clothes, good music, everyone smoking and drinking) may be a little exaggerated but feels authentic. The music: yes yes YES. Kenneth Branagh as ev0l Minister Against Pirate Radio is a marvellous portrait of Establishment repression: Jack Dav is slimily and smugly malevolent as (haha) Mr Twatt: Emma Thompson is uncredited but fab: Tom Sturridge, as protagonist Carl (who, post-expulsion, is sent off to Radio Rock by his mother, an apparently misguided maternal decision that works out for the best) is impressive (and pretty) and has great things ahead of him.
Executive summary: BILL NIGHY + MUSIC = FAB
Sometimes, piracy is the only option ... Ooops, sorry, wrong film: though it does have Jack Davenport vowing to eradicate ev0l pirates. Also, BILL NIGHY who is as a god.
Loosely, very loosely, based on the history of Radio Caroline, The Boat that Rocked is an ensemble comedy that feels -- at least for the first half -- like a collection of anecdotes, interspersed with scenes of pop music fans, Radio Rock listeners, all over Britain bouncing around / listening in the dark / getting high, and rocking out to an excellent Sixties soundtrack. Highly romanticised (for instance, nobody is ever sea-sick!) and with a heartwarming finale: typical British comedy.
But it's a good ensemble: Bill Nighy is fantastic, as is Philip Seymour Hoffman (who really, really reminded me of
pugwash). The Sixties feel (loud clothes, good music, everyone smoking and drinking) may be a little exaggerated but feels authentic. The music: yes yes YES. Kenneth Branagh as ev0l Minister Against Pirate Radio is a marvellous portrait of Establishment repression: Jack Dav is slimily and smugly malevolent as (haha) Mr Twatt: Emma Thompson is uncredited but fab: Tom Sturridge, as protagonist Carl (who, post-expulsion, is sent off to Radio Rock by his mother, an apparently misguided maternal decision that works out for the best) is impressive (and pretty) and has great things ahead of him.Executive summary: BILL NIGHY + MUSIC = FAB
