I saw "Pirate Radio" (or as it was known by its terrible UK title "The Boat That Rocked") here in Davis and it was the kind of light-weight fare that I could have waited to see on video. I love the era, the music,and the subject matter, but the treatment was sort of like a late 60's comedic "romp" with a stellar cast of actors playing one dimensional characters. There are a couple of plot twists I found to be quite hokey and predictable. Some of the humor played out like a bad sit-com.
Great cast. Phillip Seymour Hoffman gets a couple of good scenes. Bill Nighy, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh,Rhys Ifans-- all shine, as to be expected. Rhys Ifans looks dead on Liam Gallagher; he even shouts "I'm going to live forever" at one point. The soundtrack was cool, though a touch predictable. Then again, I'm sure it was fairly accurate as to what was being played on these stations, considering that the BBC allowed so few hours in a week for any pop music to be played. Of course I was playing amateur music supervisor and it did bother me when I saw them cue up an A&M record with the late 70's logo in what was supposedly 1967 or 68'. There were, no doubt, some other anachronisms, but probably only the kind that geeks like me would care about.
It was written and directed by the same guy (Richard Curtis) who created (either as screenwriter and/or director) "Notting Hill", "Four Weddings and a Funeral" ,"Love Actually" and "Bridget Jones Diary". All of those films are as superficial and cutesy as any Hollywood rom-com, though they are not without their charms if one is in the mood for that. He is also the guy who wrote for all the "Black Adder" and "Mr. Bean" shows with Rowan Atkinson, so he certainly has a great track record.
I just wish the film was a bit more grounded in reality and had believable situations and characters. My mother says there was a pirate radio station that pre-dates the British ones called Radio Nord (North) that she listened to in Sweden in 1961' and 62'. The boat was stationed somewhere offshore from Sweden in the Baltic Sea and was only operational for less than a year. I would love to hear more about that tale and of the British ships like Radio Caroline.
I'm sure there is a great story to be told, unfortunately, this fictional account ain't it.
