Originally released in the U.K. as "The Boat That Rocked", Pirate Radio is Richard Curtis' tale of a radio ship anchored off the coast of England to brodcast rock n' roll.
In 1966 the British government banned rock n' roll on the radio, leading an American DJ known as "The Count"(Philip Seymour Hoffman) to set sail along with seven other's who share his love for bringing the music to the people to establish the untouchable Radio Rock.
One day, Carl (Tom Sturridge), the nephew of the stations financier Quentin (Bill Nighy), climbs aboard saying his mother sent him here as punishment for his behavior at school. Quentin makes the point of saying what a "spectacular mistake" it is.
Carl soon finds himself knee deep in music, free love, and a serious lack of morals.
In the meantime, government officials plot to arrest the rebellious DJs and shut down Radio Rock for good.
So many great comic actors like Nick Frost (Shawn of the Dead), Rhys Darby (Flight of the Concords), and Bill Nighy (Love Actually) come together for one of my favorite movies ever.
Pirate Radio explodes on screen with so much memorable music from The Kinks, Cat Stevens, the Turtles and The Who, and many more, with humor that has the audience laughing aloud. At no point is the film bogged down by too intricate a plot, or too lengthy to put you to sleep.
I'd say it's the best feel-good movie of 2009.
Pirate Radio Movie Poster
