by guest writer, Heather Vance

Before going to see Pirate Radio I had very high expectations. It has two elements that made me believe that it could not fail: Phillip Seymour Hoffman at the helm of the film, pun intended, and a movie centered around good music. All the movie needs is director Cameron Crowe and we’d have Almost Famous 2: Adventures on the high Seas. Much to my delight, I wasn’t too far off.

The premise of Pirate Radio is in the 60s the British Government would only play 2 hours of Pop & Rock music on the BBC. At the time there was such an insatiable audience for pop/rock music that several rogue radio stations were born. “Pirate” radio stations were operated on boats that floated just on the side of international waters, streaming rock n’ roll 24 hours a day. Much debauchery ensued on these ships and it is documented (in all its glory) throughout this film.

This movie has an unbelievable all-star cast. Kenneth Branagh, Rhys Ifans, Bill Nighy, Nick Frost, Emma Thompson, Rhys Darby, and a short but well placed cameo by the gorgeous January Jones accompany the previously mentioned Phillip Seymour Hoffman. If you feel like you’ve heard these names but can’t place their face, it makes sense. Everybody except Hoffman and Jones are British actors. The film has a cheeky British charm, which is not only due to its cast, but also it’s writer & director Richard Curtis. Curtis has written the screenplays for both Bridget Jones’s movies, Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Notting Hill. Like Curtis’ previous films, this movie has a heart.

The heart of this movie revolves around Carl, a recently expelled coming-of-ager who is sent by his mother to the pirate radio ship, Radio Rock, to stay with his godfather who also happens to be Radio Rocks captain. Carl is played by unknown actor Tom Sturridge who is cast perfectly as the guy who is hopelessly adorable but hasn’t quite figured that out yet. You learn about each of the band of hooligan DJs through Carl’s eyes. Each DJ has a time slot on Radio Rock and each take ‘Young’ Carl under their wing to show him the way of the world. Really, it’s just their way of their world. Without giving too much away there is heartache, revelation, near epic disaster, and of course lots of sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll.

This movie would be nothing without the soundtrack. Being a girl in her mid-twenties I don’t personally remember this time period or this music, but I recognized each song and loved it. It’s not your cookie cutter British pop playlist. Think The Kinks, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Turtles, Cat Stevens, The Bystanders and Procol Harum as a starting point. The music is not only a soundtrack, but also a history lesson. There was nothing inherently wrong or un-godly about this music causing it to be restricted by the BBC. It was just different. The music reflected the fact that the world was changing and the Radio Rock was just the beginning of it.

Despite a lack of a teenybopper heartthrob or the oversaturated media blitz common in today’s higher grossing films, the theaters were packed on opening weekend. This movie has universal appeal, something appropriate for all ages and backgrounds. I recommend that you grab your significant other, your family, or just go by yourself. But be prepared to sail away on this boat of lessons learned and music rocked.