One is first tempted to greet 'Twenty Four Hour Party People', the story of the rise and fall of Factory Records, with a groan on discovering that 80s (and even 90s) nostalgia is already with us. But at least the film is made by Michael Winterbottom whose movies, some brilliant and some not, at least have the merit that each one is quite unlike the others. Which means that some freshness is virtually guaranteed, and Witnerbottom tells this story in an irreverent, self-knowing fashion that is at least lively, although it does sometimes give the film the feel of low-budget sitcom. This feeling is also enhanced by the casting of comedian Steve Coogan, an actor of little depth, as Factory Records boss Tony Wilson. Like Coogan's famous alter-ego Alan Partridge Wilson was a TV presenter, but it is hard to tell whether he was quite as similar to Partridge as this film suggests, or if Coogan simply isn't up to the job of playing a different character. And the decision to tell the story of Wilson also seems strange: he was not a kid whose life was transformed, or a singer whose songs were sung the world over: he even kept his day job, and there's little underlying character development in his story. Rationally, this isn't a very good film, although it's actually quite watchable, and all the more so if you have lived through this era, and listened to the music as it was new. But there are lots of potentially interesting stories, like the death of Ian Curtis, or the wave of idealism that briefly flourished with the coming of Ecstasy, which could have been covered with a bit more feeling. This movie is fun, but perhaps also a wasted opportunity; others who revisit this era will surely have more to say.
Review of 24 Hour Party People
