Honest, good-hearted, and hilarious. A worthwhile movie to watch.

Rating: 9/10 (8 February 2011)

Lately, the media has seen a trend of raunchy, trashy comedies or corny horror films. Throw in 3-D effects, and you have pretty much summed up the movies of the past few years. It is so hard to find a good-hearted movie that really touches your heart.
That's where Pirate Radio comes in. The movie is revolved around a radio crew on a ship. The time frame is in the 1960's, arguably the "golden age" of rock. Unfortunately, in England, this type of music is not allowed to be played on public radio. The goal of this radio crew is to provide a radio station that plays these rock and pop songs 24 hours a day. The ship sails across the waters to hide from government prosecution.
The audience journeys through love, friendship, rebellion, and above all, the power of music. It is rare and truly exceptional for a modern-day movie to touch upon all four of these concepts.
The romance between two of the main characters, Carl (Tom Sturridge) and Marianne (Talulah Riley) sparks the movie. While it is not the so-called "perfect love story," we are put at the edge of our seats in anticipation to find out what happens next.
What really hooked me in, though, were the lovable characters and the perfectly-chosen cast. Sturridge portrays his quirky, awkward character in such a way that the audience can not help but root for him. The two characters that stole the show were Felicity (Katherine Parkinson) and The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman) Felicity is the only girl who is part of the original crew. The men on the ship decided that women are only allowed to visit the ship from time to time, because of the drama and conflict it might make. They allow Felicity to be part of their group because of her homosexuality. Parkinson plays a hilarious, sex-driven lesbian that fits in perfectly with the "guys." What truly struck me about the Count was the speech he gave at the end. He stressed the fact that the government would always try to do what they thought was right, but the young men and women would always dream. And they would turn those dreams into reality and music and share it around the world. This single speech summed up the true meaning of the movie.
Quick, witty, and heartwarming perfectly describe the script of the movie. The chemistry between the cast was undeniable and the dialogue had you laughing at honest humor. There was the occasional crude joke, but they were never in excess throughout the movie.
The movie went under the radar in the United States, making a modest 8 million dollars. Even though Pirate Radio received high ratings amongst critics, it did not quite get the publicity as many high grossing movies do. As stated earlier, it did not exactly fit the "quota" of popular movies these days. Its rather upsetting to see what kind of entertainment our nation values.
With all this said, I would strongly suggest watching the movie. It has touched me in so many ways and even let me look at life in a different light. The characters are lovable, the comedy does not disappoint, and the message is always strong.