Not as I recall 1966

Rating: 4/10 (30 June 2015)

I watched this film as I was 20 in 1966 when it is supposed to have taken place and thought it might be fun. Unfortunately, Richard Curtis the director was only 9 and there I think lies the problem. He was too young to know what the swinging sixties was really like and consequently this film is pretty dreadful. Certainly not much like I recall. Throughout the film I had the feeling that it was made not only for the current youth market, but actually with the actors behaving as if they are the current youth. As I recall, which is quite vivid in my mind, people were not nearly so extrovert as all these characters appear, things like Facebook and Twitter have changed how people behave. I know it's only a current movie but it was quite annoying to endure. I think 50 years ago it would have been a Carry On, it's such a parody. It's a complete insult to women too who all behave as if they've just auditioned for a St Trinians film. Well I noticed Gemma Arterton in there so I shouldn't be surprised. Oh! and not a mention of the biggest name on everybody's lips back then, The Beatles! Like in a Carry On there were obvious characters like Bob to conjure up images of John Peel for example but it's all pretty dire. I spent my youth in one of the major seaside towns throughout the sixties where thousands of young people gathered every weekend to see all the major pop groups of the day and it was a fabulous time, but we didn't talk about sex all the time and swear unremittingly like the characters here do, that's today's youth, not 1966. Oh! and Jimi Hendrix was unknown in 1966, he didn't break through the charts until 1967 but they were still talking about him and playing his hits. I think there could actually be an interesting film made about the pirate radio stations like Caroline, but this isn't it. Thank goodness for Bill Nighy to add a bit of charisma to this mess.