The Boat That Rocked

I enjoyed this film very, very much. I laughed in the right places- more than I thought I would and even shed a tear or three.

The Boat That Rocked is a comedy in which the romance takes place between the young people of the '60s and pop music. It's about a band of rogue DJs - old and young - that captivated Britain, playing the music that defined a generation and standing up to a government that thought rock and roll was evil.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays The Count, who believes in getting the music to the public in all circumstances. He is never less than good in every role he portrays.

Bill Nighy plays Quentin, the boss of Radio Rock - the pirate radio station in the middle of the North Sea. Bill is always really good (you can always tell he is having a wonderful time, especially in Richard Curtis movies).

There are a cast of individual DJs led by Gavin (Rhys Irfans).

On the other side of the coin is a government minister played by Kenneth Brannagh (suitably government - square - looking) and he is backed up by a minister called Twatt (many jokes from that name) who are trying to shut down Radio Rock.

Richard Curtis wrote and directed this. Like all Richard Curtis movies it is about 15 minutes too long. Richard does know how to tug on the heart strings and he knows his music. I like the way RC shows the affect of what the subject of the movie is on others. Love Actually - the hugs in the airport that had me in tears of joy. In TBTR, you get multiple scenes of different people listening to Radio Rock that would have brought back memories to anyone during the 60s who listened to Radio Caroline either in secret (usually as a child in bed) or with their friends as if this were some decadent activity.