"Pirate Radio" has the energetic pop of a Mick Jagger dance move, the infectious nature of a Jimi Hendrix guitar riff and the entertainment value equal to the entire Beach Boys catalogue.
In other words: The film rocks.
"Pirate Radio" is from director Richard Curtis, whose "Love Actually" comes incredibly close to being the perfect romance movie. This time he tackles the odd musical world that existed in England in 1966. Rock music was exploding, but the government wouldn't allow it to be played on any local radio stations. This gave birth to pirate radio, where studios were set up on ships at sea where their signals were beamed to listeners.
This rebellious approach made the motley crew of on-air personalities demented gods in the minds of many listeners. They lived the life of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.
Thrown into the mix is Carl (Tom Sturridge), a relatively naive lad whose been kicked out of school. His mother sends him to stay with his godfather (Bill Nighy), the boat owner and general manager of the floating radio studio. Carl's time at sea proves an education in many ways.
Curtis navigates through multiple film genres going from the absurdity of the pop world of the '60s to the dramatic conflicts of censorship. He creates stark contrasts to make his point, such as going from the oppressive properness of the British government (as shown through a wonderfully snooty performance by Kenneth Branagh) to the free-for-all debauchery of the radio world.
The director again masterfully casts his film. The chameleonlike Philip Seymour Hoffman, the only American voice among the disc jockeys, adds another performance to prove he is one of the best actors working in films.
Rhys Ifans captures the sexual confidence of the '60s with his turn as the rock jock Gavin, and Nick Frost continues to show his comedic skills as another member of the band of on-air brothers.
As is the case with casts in other Curtis films, even the smallest roles are perfectly played. Curtis cultivates these characters enough it's impossible not to be invested in them at the end.
The other thing Curtis does so well is misdirection. He starts out headed down a slapstick channel only to make an abrupt starboard swing into a sea of emotions. It's never forced and that's why this outing is so enjoyable.
This all comes together to make "Pirate Radio" a chart topper.
TV and movie critic Rick Bentley can be reached at rbentley@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6355. Read his blog at fresnobeehive.com.
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