Review of 24 Hour Party People (2002) by James S — 29 Mar 2009

It's a little difficult to know what to make of 24 Hour Party People. Is this a comedy? or is this a serious look at one of the most interesting times in Northern British music.

This is the story of Factory Records impresario Tony Wilson played here by Alan Partridge. Okay, so it's actually Steve Coogan playing him but the way in which Coogan puts Wilson across seems like this is actually Steve Coogan playing Alan Partridge, playing Tony Wilson. Only it's not funny.

The film does get some stuff right. It captures the excitement of the time for music, even though it does focus more on the drugs than the music and Danny Cunningham's Shaun Ryder is excellent. The focus on Joy Division in the early part of the film is the stand out segment.

But for all it gets right, 24 Hour Party People gets a lot more wrong. The tone of the film is confusing. Coogan's Partridge-esque narration is dull after a while, Peter Kay is horribly mis-cast as a hooker loving club owner and the film ends up very bleak yet draped in technicolor at the same time. Add to that the fact that Bez is played by the guy who was Tony the paedophile in Eastenders and what you're left with is an interesting story told in a confusing and dull fashion.