Not a good representation of the film in my opinion. A tongue stud?

Based solely on the experience watching the Sex Pistols, the band Joy Division formed and Tony Wilson became their manager. We touch on Joy Division as they record, play and are suddenly rocked by the suicide of their lead singer. We watch them become New Order, and eventually witness the formation of rave culture, clubbing and all that other exciting party stuff that swept over the world. But this isn't what 24 Hour Party People is about. It's not a documentary - but then again, it is. Best described as a post-modern-docudrama-experimental film, it's a movie that acknowledges that it's a movie, and that the actor playing Tony Wilson isn't really him.

The weirdness doesn't stop there. There's also an appearance by a UFO, God and some funky ass credit sequences. But this movie wouldn't hold if weirdness were its only draw. As played by Stephen Coogan, Tony Wilson is an amazingly interesting character to behold. His wry sense of humor and detachment from whatever situation he finds himself in is immediately entrancing and magnetic. You can't help but being glued to the screen, as you wonder what situation Tony is going to find himself in next, or what piece of history he's going to touch on. He's the drugged out, fucked up version of Forest Gump.

If you sense that I'm fighting for words to describe the film, you're probably right. It's hard to talk about a film that isn't anything in particular. It isn't divisive, it isn't a documentary, it isn't an art film and it isn't a drama. But it's all of those things too. Perhaps it's best to say, that's it's all about the music, man.

Movie Grade: A-

Video: 3 out of 5
It's quite scuzzy - but again, it's that combination of PAL transfer, video footage and artistic license. It doesn't matter how bad it looks, it fits the film perfectly.
Widescreen Anamorphic - 1.85:1

Wilson, waiting for the Sex Pistols

Audio: 3 out of 5
The music in this film is (naturally) good. Perfectly leveled and such. The 5.1 doesn't get a huge workout, but it's nice having the bass tracks in this case.
English (Dolby 5.1)

Extras: 4 out of 5
First up is a piece called "The Manchester Movie", a ten minute featurette which covers why there needed to be a film about the Manchester music scene, and after seeing this, I couldn't agree more. Next is a ten minute featurette with the real Tony Wilson, who's quite a lovely bloke to put up with the shite way that he's treated in this movie. There are two commentary tracks. The first is with Wilson, who speaks quite frankly about the movie and his thoughts on how he's represented (he doesn't think he's quite as arrogant as he's protrayed.) Finally a commentary with a producer and actor Steve Coogan, who give the usual (but good) acting and production information. The deleted scenes (about 30 minutes) are nothing great, and there is a gallery and some scattered trailers.

Overall: 4 out of 5
It's a weird enough film to turn off most people, especially those with no love for music. But if you're a fan of the Sex Pistols, new wave or rave, or perhaps just really enjoy well-executed post-modern films, then I highly recommend 24 Hour Party People. You can't beat the price OR the music.

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