Director Richard Curtis acknowledged in an interview that while someone should definitely make a serious movie about offshore radio broadcasting to the U.K. in 1966, his comedy Pirate Radio, which uses the issue as its backdrop, is merely meant to entertain. It does just that, too, using a hilarious cast and loads of great music to become an energetic celebration of ‘60s rock ‘n’ roll.

Following the snappy opening credits, we meet a fictional zoo of zany DJs broadcasting from a pirate radio ship moored off the U.K. coast in the North Sea as the godson (Tom Sturridge) of the ship’s captain (Bill Nighy) arrives on board. We also watch as an uptight British minister (Kenneth Branagh) works to shut them down.

The film, which was called The Boat That Rocked when it was released in Britain to poor reaction, is not especially deep. After all, it was concocted by Curtis, the man behind Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Love Actually. The word substance isn’t in his vocabulary, though he does seem to have a knack for crafting droll dialogue.

The cast absolutely excels, in particular Philip Seymour Hoffman as the sole American DJ. I haven’t seen him this lively since Twister. Nighy is even better, getting the best lines and spitting them out with riotous precision in his arch accent, like when he says, “Governments loathe people being free.” Rhys Ifans also cracked me up as the smooth-talking “Ultimate DJ.”

Not to be left out is Simon Pegg’s Shaun of the Dead sidekick Nick Frost as a rotund DJ who inexplicably has no trouble when it comes to women, much to Sturridge’s frequent chagrin. Branagh, despite playing the I-wanna-make-it-illegal killjoy of the piece, nonetheless plays his part with relish. Especially funny is the way he insults the somewhat scruffy hairdo of a lowly government aide.

Emma Thompson also provides a brief spark as Sturridge’s mum, dubbed by Nighy as “a sexual legend.” But the movie’s true pulse comes from its soundtrack, filled with tunes by The Who, Dusty Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Kinks, and Procol Harum, among others. My favorite? “Dancing in the Streets” by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. Like the movie, it’s a true joy to experience.- [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Comedy/Drama/Music/Romance

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 4/14/10

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