A bit rocky...

Rating: 7/10 (12 April 2009)

The characters/actors who - I felt - came off the most successful in the film (among the crew) were Bill Nighy (Quentin), Chris O'Dowd (Simon), Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Count), Tom Sturridge (Carl) and Tom Brooke (Thick Kevin), and although they were playing unlikeable characters, I thought Jack Davenport (the appropriately-named Twatt) and Kenneth Branagh (Minister Dormandy) were also really good in their roles as well. The members of the crew who WEREN'T so great were Rhys Ifans (Gavin), Dave (Nick Frost), Tom Wisdom (Mark) and Ralph Brown (Bob). I could take or leave Rhys Darby (Angus) and Katherine Parkinson (Felicity). Most unfortunately, the other main women in the cast, such as Talulah Riley - who I'm actually a fan of - (Marianne), January Jones (Eleonore - who I definitely *don't* think is swell) and Gemma Arterton (who I disliked in Quantum of Solace, then liked in the mini-series Lost In Austen, now find myself *disliking* again in this film) come off possibly the worst in the movie. They're all floozies, the lot of them (and despite what Marianne says...she IS "easy"). It's hard to like such characters.
It's a shame these actresses were given such unlikeable roles to portray, but I guess that - in a way - they were given such characters to play so as to make all the male characters look "better" in comparison. The REAL injustice is both Talulah Riley and Gemma Arterton having to get into bed with the ghastly Nick Frost. Why on Earth would ANYONE - in their right mind - want to do that?! I felt sorry for these two lovely actresses (and January Jones doesn't fare much better, playing a character who dumps her husband, poor old Simon, after only 17 hours for that horrible Rhys Ifans). The actions of the women in this film are truly befuddling (the only decent female character is the lesbian cook, Felicity).
Despite this mixed bag of characters, the film manages to be a hoot for the majority of its run. Yes, there are some slow parts that aren't so funny, but mostly the film keeps you laughing the whole way through. The humour may be crude and, at times, downright juvenile, but there's also some wickedly funny moments that had the entire audience I was among laughing uproariously. A lot of the time, the laughter died down when the film cut to Twatt and Dormandy, but surprisingly, they got quite a few laughs as well (their humour in just much more subtle/less in-your-face than that of the boat crew). Considering they're given quite thankless parts, Davenport and Branagh manage to make the most of their roles. The film probably could have done with a few less cuts to people listening to their radios, but that's not a big complaint.
If I had to name one MAJOR negative about the film (other than Nick Frost), it would be that the film seems to lack any *real* storyline. It's like they came up with all these funny scenes (and excuses to play excellent music), but then tied them together with the thinnest of plot lines. You end up wondering, after a while, what exactly the point of the film *is*. I guess that, in the end, it's about having fun/a good time and listening to lots of rockin' music (and what a soundtrack this movie has!). The exceptional use of songs played throughout the film is undeniably what stands out about it the most. You can't help but get into the music. If only the movie could have had a bit more direction to it, perhaps the wonderful music wouldn't have seemed like just an excuse to sell soundtracks so much.
Speaking of direction, there is a slightly hand-held camera feel to this film. It's not as shaky as certain other films, but given that most of the story takes place on a boat...slight shaky cam was to be expected. I also could have done without such jerky editing/so much choppiness and quick cuts in the film, but it's nothing too major.
While this film has its share of flaws, I felt it succeeded doing what it was intended to do: entertain. I laughed quite a lot throughout the movie, and that's always a good thing (especially if the jokes are intentional), so if you want to have a good laugh, I recommend this film. Thanks to The Boat That Rocked, I now have 'Elenore' by The Turtles stuck in my head (thanks a lot, movie).