Pirate Radio

Pirate Radio (2009)
Directed by Richard Curtis
Length: 116 minutes
Rated R for language, and some sexual content including brief nudity




The 1960s have long been recognized as the fertile time period that produced some of the most immortal bands of all time - bands like The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, etc. These bands that have inspired multiple generations are still enjoyed to this day over the airwaves. Shifting focus away form the artist, Pirate Radio focuses on the birth of modern radio and the rise of rock and roll. Though boasting a killer soundtrack, cool topic, and talented cast, Pirate Radio fails to capitalize on the passion of the music at the heart of the film.

During the 1960s, the airwaves typically consisted of news broadcasts and traditional styles of music. Up until this time, rock and roll and other forms of popular music could hardly be found on the radio. This quickly changed when groups of "pirate DJs" began broadcasting the decade's greatest artists via offshore boats. Though not illegal, these broadcasts quickly drew the attention of the British government (the area of focus for this particular film). It is through the efforts of these pirate DJs that modern radio grew to become the stations we now know and love. Pirate Radio follows the broadcasts of one particular boat and its crew of misfit disc jockeys and their over-sized personalities.

While the concept and music may be cool, the film ultimately falls flat on its face. There is little semblance of a grand plot; instead, we find multiple little mini-plots that would probably have worked better on a sitcom or soap opera. Additionally, the casts truly fails to deliver the caliber of performance that is expected with such respected names. Philip Seymour Hoffman (Jack Goes Boating, The Invention of Lying) as The Count and Bill Nighy (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, G-Force) as the boat's captain Quentin fail to deliver the memorable and great performances typically expected from such qualified actors. While this isn't meant to say their performances are bad, rather they are simple and forgettable characters that are predictable and shallow. While the film's overall shallowness certainly contributes to this, none of the cast is able to salvage this shipwreck.

The main draw to the movie is its rocking soundtrack, and Pirate Radio certainly delivers on that front. But beyond the tunes, all you find here are weak performances, little plot or character development, little enjoyment, and an overall feeling that you just wasted two hours of your life. I could maybe see why some people might enjoy this film, but this is a prime example of a movie with little-to-no substance or depth. If you just must watch this film, don't say I didn't warn you. Instead, I recommend dusting off the vinyl collection and listening to the bands that comprise the soundtrack and ignore this one.

Final Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote:
Dave: "So tell us Mark, now at the very end - what was your secret? How did you get all them girls?"
Mark: "Simple. Don't say anything at all."
'Young' Carl: "Nothing at all?"
Mark: "Nothing. Then, when the tension becomes too much to bear, you finally, finally, just say 'how about it, then?'"