Review of 24 Hour Party People (2002) by Paul S — 07 Aug 2008

I had high hopes for an in depth look into the beginnings of the punk scene, but was left feeling disappointed, as though Winterbottom (dir) fell into the pathos of the punk movement himself and ended up selling his film short (as one of the films' high points - a fake Robinson Caruso take of the writer and singer who is stuck on a island to "dry out" says so pointedly "I'm stuck here bored out me skull. guess I should write some lyrics, but then again, why should I?".

I found the film's humour to be it's saving grace and the main charactor's humanity the only charactor I cared about at all - the rest were just degenerate slackers who to me had little real talent and were propped up by a hype machine - I guess as a dance vehicle (I remember the pogo) the songs work, and all the angst must have connected to someone - but I would sure have loved to have been given the opportunity to be recorded and pushed the way those bands were - and they could have cared less - which again I suppose is the crux of the entire movement.

I noticed the lead actor from the BBC version of Life On Mars in a minor role as guitarist for one of the bands.