ThiefHott Too much of everything

Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Red-Barracuda I remember back in the day I used to regularly encounter Tony Wilson via the pages of the music weeklies such as Melody Maker. On that basis, I always used to think he was a bit of an annoying, attention-seeking idiot. Well, I have to admit that this highly negative viewpoint was swept away completely once I saw 24 Hour Party People. This film made me realise, that far from being an annoyance, Wilson was a pretty overwhelmingly positive force for good as far as the British music scene went. TV journalist, record mogul, nightclub owner, he was a man of many colours and one with obvious contradictions – while he was a bit pompous, he was very good-intentioned and while he was something of a musical visionary, he was terrible at long-term planning. What's abundantly clear though, is that he was most certainly not out for personal financial gain through his ventures; his idea of allowing the bands to come and go as they pleased with no ownership attributed to his record company was very worthy and in true artistic spirit but it was also, needless to say, ultimately catastrophic. Despite doing very well for himself, Wilson seems to have been a really terrible businessman. And this is yet another reason to love the guy.The film charts the Manchester music scene from the mid 70's post-punk scene to late 80's Madchester period. It centres on Wilson's Factory Records who had many key Manchester acts on their label, including seminal bands such as Joy Division, New Order and Happy Mondays. Perhaps just as importantly, Factory also owned the Hacienda nightclub which would go on to become a place majorly associated with the rise of DJ culture and dance music. There is no doubting the importance of the Manchester music scene at the turn of the 90's and this film shows that Wilson was a huge figure in its genesis, one whose hands-off approach allowed for the music on his label to flower in the best way.Michael Winterbottom directs this with great skill. The loose approach matches the music. It's fast-paced and regularly laugh-out-loud funny. A big help here is the outstanding performance from brilliant comic actor Steve Coogan in the role of Wilson. He often breaks the fourth wall to offer valuable asides to us and generally gives out a performance that deftly combines comedy and drama expertly. There are a variety of other real characters portrayed here including Ian Curtis, Shaun Ryder and Martin Hannett; and no one lets the side down. And then of course there is a ready-made soundtrack of great tunes in which events play out in front of, from the post-punk iciness of Joy Division through to the baggy hedonism of the Happy Mondays. All of this adds up to a music biopic of a very high level indeed. Wilson was a man who definitely deserved his achievements to be celebrated in a film which is this inspiring, entertaining and hilarious.

Marcus Albertelly -contains spoilers-Tony Wilson is full of himself with his twisted recollection of the 80s and 90s and how this rave culture and genre of music came about.In this movie he claims that it came about through his collaborations with this new order of music he discovered called Punk Rock in the very late 70s. Also makes it appear that he alone helped to launch this genre of music to the public. That is totally untrue and either he is delusional or just lying to sell the story. Punk and this hard rock type of sound originated in the very early 70s with followers of bands like MC5, The Stooges, and others. The stuff that played at The Factory may have included punk-styled singers but most of the bands were just pop-rock garage bands.Later into the 80s and early 90s the bands Tony Wilson was incorporated with were just the same type of pop dance music you heard everywhere, but some with a slightly rougher sound some of the time. He says in the film that they were based on some new sound one of his producers had created but since the late 70s there were hundreds of bands similar to Happy Mondays, New Order, etc. Even American radio had been playing lighter versions of these bands like The Cure for almost a decade before.He claims that his club in the early 90s and these bands playing there accidentally stumbled onto this new form of music called "rave". That and his claim that they were the first club playing this "new" music and having live DJs is another total untruth. There were rave parties in Orlando and Miami every weekend, that I remember, from 88-98. This rave music and it's dance parties had been all over the world before his club even opened. And it was not based on pop-rock-dance bands but digital music intentionally designed for those taking hallucinogenics and other drugs, not just dancing. It is more likely that no one wanted to see the bands he was sponsoring so the club had to change and jump on the new dance party trend that was already sweeping the world.Though this is an entertaining movie and I would recommend it if you come across it on television. The fact that it is a type of documentary based on lies makes it's score plummet. Tony Wilson could have very easily just told things in a historically accurate way and the movie would mean much more.

zken You would think that Hollywood and the music business would be very close, with the executives lunching together every day in the slick restaurant scene that only LA and New York City have to offer. But you would be wrong. The evidence is that on both sides (music execs trying to make movies and tone deaf Hollywood moguls)there has been a massive failure in joining the two art forms. The one big exception is the growing body of work by Scorcese. Which brings me to this film, one of the top music movies ever made. For those of us who have followed music since the birth of rock n roll, it is particularly amazing and satisfying that it took the British to make this masterpiece about the BUSINESS of rock. Since Edison, it is a combination of business and technology that has created the music industry and led to its massive melt down, and the complete hand over to Apple. But that is another story. This film does its best to sum up why and how it has been impossible for rock and roll artists to grow their art separate from a completely insane and out of control money system that sold it down the river. The setting of this film is in the brief but fascinating Manchester music scene and this is the perfect back drop for a goofy, chaotic, and ultimately tragic tale that just never stops moving. Steve Coogan is brilliant in a once in a life time role that must have been written just for him. How else can you explain this funny, hilarious, and absolutely true picture of a music money man gone mad. I am not exaggerating that when movies were invented, they were meant for just this; social and artistic commentary that is moving, funny and absolutely unforgettable. I have seen this movie more than once, and each time I am amazed, delighted and so sad that a artistic world once so promising came to this.

DVD_Connoisseur Watching "24 Hour Party People" was a nostalgic experience for me, bringing back memories of nights many moons ago. From beginning to end, the film is a genuine treat for anybody who experienced the Madchester scene or who has an appreciation for the music that came out of it.Steve Coogan's portrayal of the late, great Anthony H. Wilson is marvellously entertaining. Every scene is a joy to behold and the dialogue is hilariously true to life.The scenes around Manchester are superbly staged and there's a smörgåsbord of familiar faces in the movie. On top of this, the soundtrack and the recreation of the Hacienda's final night are too good to miss.9 out of 10. Not a perfect film but a genuine pleasure to view.