The Boat That Rocked (2009)

• Year: 2009
• Released: 13 Nov 2009
• Country: United Kingdom, France, Germany
• Adwords: 2 wins & 9 nominations
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1131729/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pirate_radio
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: R
• Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
• Runtime: 117 min
• Writer: Richard Curtis
• Director: Richard Curtis
• Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Nick Frost
• Keywords: musical, 1960s, ship, rock ‘n’ roll, teenage protagonist,

	7.3/10
	58/100
	59% – Critics
	71% – Audience

The Boat That Rocked Storyline

The year is 1966, *the* era of British rock and roll. Despite the music’s popularity among the British people, the British government has enacted legislation restricting the BBC or any other broadcaster on British soil to playing rock music for a maximum of one hour per day in favoring classical music. This law has led to the emergence of Rock Radio, one of a number of pirate radio broadcasters with half the British population listening to such stations every day. With Rock Radio, the term pirate applies in more ways than one, including they circumventing the legislation by broadcasting from a ship anchored outside of British waters in the North Sea. In addition to playing rock music, the collection of DJs themselves has achieved rock star status among their listeners, and have a rock star existence in inviting groupies on board to party whenever they can. While the on-air talent generally get along despite they being a disparate group, the arrival of two on board has the potential figuratively to rock the boat. One is Gavin Kavanagh, a legend in the DJ world that Quentin, the station manager, is able to coax out of retirement. Two is seventeen year old Carl, Quentin’s godson whose mother, Charlotte, sent him in hoping it would give him a sense of responsibility in just having been expelled from school. While some on board make it their mission to assist in that growing up by doing whatever they can for Carl to lose his virginity to one of the many groupies, others believe that Charlotte sent Carl so that he could spend more time with his unknown biological father in the assumption that he is Quentin. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has appointed cabinet minister Sir Alistair Dormandy to do whatever he needs to shut down Rock Radio. After a number of missteps, Sir Alistair believes he has figured out what will be the death knell of Rock Radio. He is unaware that this action will potentially be Rock Radio’s death knell in another way.

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The Boat That Rocked Movie Reviews

meandering long comedy

It’s 1966. Official radio rarely plays the popular rock music of the era. Some pirate radio stations pop up broadcasting from international waters. Carl (Tom Sturridge) got expelled from school and arrives at his godfather Quentin (Bill Nighy)’s Radio Rock ship in the North Sea. It’s staffed by various oddballs like American DJ The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman). They are allowed to bring female friends aboard sometimes. Government minister Sir Alistair Dormandy (Kenneth Branagh) and his sidekick Domenic Twatt (Jack Davenport) try to shut the radio station down through legal loopholes. Quentin brings legendary DJ Gavin Kavanagh (Rhys Ifans) out of retirement.

I like the various characters but the story meanders too much. It’s like a run-on sentence that runs out of steam. This show should simply follow Carl and watch the fascinating wild times from his point of view. The movie starts out fine but the light humor fades quickly. Maybe Tom Sturridge is not big enough to hold center stage against this wacky cast of characters. This is a great era for music although the movie seems to be more about the rotation of beautiful babes. I would rather have the girl stay on the ship for the entire trip and have a real relationship.

COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER

This movie boasts one of the greatest soundtracks and greatest actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman) that ever lived, yet it failed to come up with a good plot. Rock and Roll movies tend to stink outside of the soundtrack and this one was no exception. There isn’t much plot. It is more of a collection of skits involving the same characters, which by the way, are never really developed to the point you could feel for them. The phrase “inspired by true events” means there once were DJs, rock and roll, and pirate radio. I would have more respect for the movie if they had just left that phrase off. I also question the playing of Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin.” While it was out in 1967, it didn’t get any real air time until its re-release in 1972. The comedy at times was good, but I would never use the words “rip-roaring funny” or “zany” to describe it. They should have expanded the DJ rivalry and left off the nerd looking for his father. Still, it is better than anything Paul McCartney ever did in the cinema.

Radio Rock Revolution

My summary line is the German title of the movie. And yes the German title of the movie is actual an English one! But that aside it is also the name of a Radio station. A radio station that “helped” many listeners through rainy days and nights, as it is depicted in the movie, which is romanticizing the pirate radio revolution and it’s DJ and demonises, the law (portrayed by Kenneth Branagh, who seems to enjoy his part very much).

Despite this black and white ideology, the movie still works, especially because of the actors. They are all great in it and the fun they had making the movie translates onto the screen. No coherent story to be found here and the premise is only loosely based on real events (that’s how it feels). But it’s still more fun to watch those guys rockin and rollin, then watching some other movies.