DVD Reviews

Pirate Radio - DVD Review

By June L. Apr 14, 2010, 14:21 GMT

From the creator of Love Actually and Notting Hill comes a trip back to the freewheeling, free-loving ’60s when the very rock music that inspired a generation was censored by the government. When a group of rebellious deejays decides to defy the ban, they take to the seas to broadcast music and mayhem to millions of adoring fans. Featuring a soundtrack that includes The Who, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix, David ...more

If you were an adolescent in 1966, Pirate Radio is going to be a visual and audio treat that you will want to experience through multiple viewings. Unabashed and yet somehow still touchingly innocent, this story will make you laugh, cry and feel nostalgic for the noble cause of freedom of expression through music and words.

Pirate Radio is the semi-truthful story of England in the swinging sixties, with a population who were starving for rock and roll. The radio stations were under the governance of an unenlightened group of politicians bent on banishing the djs and the music they deemed vulgar pollution of the airwaves.

The brave band of music lovers operating a rock and roll radio station from aboard a modern day pirate ship, defied the authorities to keep on broadcasting their programs, playing the music twenty four hours a day.

Bill Nighy plays Quentin, the captain of the ship and leader of the group, and his performance is, as always, incredible. His sense of comedic timing and wonderful characterization sets the pace for the rest of the crew. Crazy, wild, sweet, sexy, nerdish, complicated, simple, odd and youthful, the crew is a blend of personalities and characters who are in spite of flaws and human failings, immensely likeable.

Their quest to provide rock and roll to the people of Britain, becomes the viewer’s goal as well. How can we help but cheer for Rock Radio when they are beset by such villains as Kenneth Branagh’s ghastly government official and his equally officious henchman. On board the ship there is the wonderful clash of “The Count” Philip Semour Hoffman, and “The King Gavin” Rhys Ifans whose battles for supremacy in the broadcast room are hysterically funny and amazingly brave.

Chris O’Dowd is Simple Simon Swofford, a dear sweet man, whose luck is atrocious, and Thick Kevin (Tom Brooke) is sincere if not all that brilliant. As in other Richard Curtis films, these people become very real to the viewer, and we care about them. One of the best devices used in the film are the cut away shots to listeners all over Britain, who have connected with the djs and the music.

This is a brilliant way to show the music and social revolution as it happened. Kids crouched over transistor radios, or in bed late at night with the radio under the pillow, groups gathering to listen, dance and enjoy the music, people in their daily work lives getting involved with the personalities and the sound. It is a wonderful representation of how it felt to be connected through rock and roll.

Pirate Rock DVD is presented on single disc with a running time of 1 hour and 57 minutes. It comes with a film commentary and the best set of deleted scenes since LOVE ACTUALLY.

Do watch the deleted scenes for this film, as they are full of humor, wisdom and touching moments counterbalanced with freaky sixties crowd scenes.

Editing a movie such as this must be a nightmare, because it is all good, and each bit tells a story and feels important. The deleted scenes actually enlighten the viewer and provide some of the best speeches. Don’t miss the Stag Night visit to Abbey Road.