Film: 24 Hour Party People

Firstly hello and welcome to the post of my new blog. Being that there are more blogs then people on the internet I'm not sure anyone will ever read this but let's see what'll happen. I have written blogs before and have gotten lazy and left them for dead. I'll face it, I'm not a blog person. So why start a new one? No idea. In this blog i have decided to write anything film related. Films I have seen, DVDs or things i have bought and any links of interest. Basically anything that suits me.



Tonight I watched 24 Hour Party People, Michael Winterbottom's bio-pic on Anthony Wilson the founder of Factory records, the company that has brought us Joy Divison, New Order and the Happy Mondays. It seems to me in the past year Factory has been in the spot light a lot what with the release of Joy Divison film Control, a BBC documentary on Factory, the reissues of Joy Divisions back catalogue and unfortunate death of Tony Wilson.

24 is quite interesting in style. The opening titles look particularly good backed with what i hoped for the Happy Mondays song 24 Hour Party People which the film is named after. My only qualm (misuse i know but sounds good) with the titles is that all the credits appear unreadable, but who cares it looks good. Steve Coogan plays Wilson and is backed by a cast of mostly sitcom actors (Peter Hook is played by Ralf Little and looks like Ralf Little). Very much like Winterbottoms next film (or more the film within the film) Cock and Bull Story, Coogan occasionally jumps into third person which gives the film an interesting angle and seems to be a slight theme being that the novelisation of the film is written by Wilson himself. I have seen in the past year Control and the for mentioned BBC documentary and in all honesty those were better. The BBC documentary covers exactly the same as this film but in greater depth and the fact its told in interviews rather than reconstruction seems more appropriate. Control, whilst just being about Joy Divison (though a large amount of 24 is still set around this period) is much better cast seems a lot more truthful. But still I really liked this film.

Is it good, is it bad? What does it matter and what does my opinion really matter on it. If you are interested either any of said bands or British music in general then watch it. 'nuff said.