In this case, feel free to rock the boat

Rating: 8/10 (14 March 2010)

I don't know if the movie, "Pirate Radio" is on people's radar but I would recommend checking it out. The DVD release date is not until mid April but you can find it airing right now via Comcast On-Demand. As a self describe anglophile, I cannot resist movies filled with quirky British characters and was pleasantly surprised at the chance to see it earlier than expected.
It is a coming age fable of sorts about young Carl ( his nickname throughout the movie) who after being kicked out of boarding school is sent by his mother to spend time with his godfather ( the always incredible Bill Nighy as Quentin) in the mid 1960's. The twist is that Quentin runs a pirate radio station off the coast of England and Carl finds himself at the very center of the sex, drugs and rock'n roll generation. As Carl navigates his way through becoming an adult we are also given glimpses of Sir Allister Dormandy, a British government official, who is obsessed with shutting down any and all pirate radio stations ( if you see this movie, do you think it is a coincidence that our villain bears a striking resemblance some sort of pasty faced British version of Hitler?). He is given some of the more over the top lines too. Describing the country's rock'n roll fans as, "drug takers, law breakers and bottom bashing fornicators". I'm still trying to figure that last one out.
This is all pretty standard fare for a movie about youthful rebellion through music. For the most part this movies has great laughs only faltering during some "American Pie" type silliness about Carl loosing his virginity. It's at it's best though when the music does the talking. We are treated to various whimsical scenes of Brits from all walks of life dancing to some of the great rock classics. I called this a fable and I'll leave it to viewers to sort of historical accuracy, but just don't buy into the movie's conceit that it is about real events. It's more about capturing the mood of a time and place.