Grade: B+
Synopsis: A local TV personality (Steve Coogan) starts a record company and witnesses the rise and fall of the “Madchester” music scene.
24 Hour Party People isn’t a documentary. It blurs the truth and chooses legend over fact whenever it can –it makes a point of letting you know this several times– but there is enough truth here to cover of the rise and fall of the legendary “Madchester” scene, and the filmmakers’ choice to blend truth and legend makes for a more entertaining movie, especially for those that already know the story.
Indeed, the film feels like a guided history tour with Steve Coogan winking at the camera at every turn. Coogan’s performance as Factory Records founder Tony Wilson sets the perfect tone and he carries the film well, frequently addressing the camera in cocky, yet utterly self-deprecating and charming, asides. That several of the real life figures in the story cameo, not as themselves, but as extras, only adds to the film’s fanciful nature.
24 Hour Party People’s biggest weakness lies in its scope. The script covers a lot of ground, but at some cost. Though Coogan’s character makes a point of saying the film isn’t his story, his is the only character we really come to know. Others, such as Joy Division singer Ian Curtis are just names and faces that you only relate to through Coogan’s character, and thus the events surrounding them carry a sort of emotional detachment.
Still, compared to the singular focus of a film like Control (2007), 24 Hour Party People does a wonderful job of stepping back and capturing the excitement and wonderful uncertainty of a musical revolution as it unfolds.
And the music. Of course, the music is excellent, and that’s what 24 Hour Party People is really about. That and Tony Wilson.
Bottom Line: 24 Hour Party People is a wonderfully ride chalk full of great music and highlighted by a charismatic performance from Steve Coogan. Recommended.
