The Boat That Rocked

Writer and director Richard Curtis is the proud architect of the British romantic comedy. After a string of genre defining hits (such as ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, ‘Notting Hill’), his magnum opus ‘Love Actually’ billed itself quite legitimately as the ultimate romantic comedy. Its stellar cast and clever interweaving of six or seven typical rom-com stories brought Curtis’s work to a warm and emotionally satisfying crescendo. Now, armed with a few familiar faces, Curtis attempts the daunting task of surpassing or at least equalling this feat. ‘The Boat That Rocked’ carries a burden of expectation, but also the promise of much reward.

Wisely shifting the focus away from purely romantic exploits ‘The Boat That Rocked’ tells the story of pirate radio stations, who defied oppressive 1970’s authorities to keep Britain rocking. They supplied an eager public with 24hrs of non-stop Rock and Pop with their taboo breaking offshore broadcasts. It was an era rich with musical genius and exhilarating playful rebelliousness. The film perfectly captures the bright optimistic essence of that time, assisted greatly by a vast soundtrack of timelessly brilliant songs.

Music is an admitted passion for Curtis and it’s the secret weapon which he cleverly deploys to keep ‘The Boat That Rocked’ on track for greatness. There is undoubted truth in the films central theme that the power of music to inspire and enthral should not be underestimated. Of course few films can survive on their musical virtues alone, but ‘The Boat That Rocked’ thankfully has much more to recommend itself.

The film’s cast is rich with winning comedic charm, much of which comes from the surprisingly fertile breeding ground of British TV. Talent such as Nick Frost’s ample mirth and Chris O’Dowd’s hilarious vulnerability provide great support for brilliant turns by returning Cutis’s collaborators Rhys Ifans and Bill Nighy, both once again on top form. The presence of Oscar winning acting heavyweight Philip Seymour Hoffman adds an air of dramatic credibility to proceedings, but he clearly revels in shedding the shackles of seriousness to share in the fun. Kenneth Branagh and Jack Davenport ham it up brilliantly as the villainous government officials determined to shut down the party. It’s a varied cast devoid of any trace of a weak link.

This film is clearly amongst the most personal and autobiographical of its creator. Curtis admits that the awkward virginal adolescent around whom much of the story centres is a character dear to his own heart and drawn from his own painful memories. Luckily new face Tom Sturridge is up to the task of playing the films only real straight man amongst a sea of competing funny faces. He trades serious musings with Hoffman and shares the film’s most outstandingly hilarious moments with Nick Frost and Gemma Arterton.

It’s typical to end a review by dissecting a film’s faults, but other that it’s slightly long running time ‘The Boat That Rocked’ has very few failings. It stands shoulder to shoulder with Curtis’s best efforts and defies audiences to leave the cinema without a smile on their faces.

Out everywhere April 1st and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for some Rock and Roll joy in their life.