In a community refuses all kinds of music rather than classic music, this movie follows a group of aspiring DJs, who wander Britain, playing the modern music that express the soul of their generation.
Curtis has a knack for drawing credible names to his projects, and with this ensemble of talented character actors all playing to their strengths, The Boat That Rocked proves to be an entertaining, if not restless rock 'n' roll romp on the high seas.
Richard Curtis's comedy is anchored only in exuberance, but that's more than you can say for most movies these days; it keeps you beaming with pleasure.
Any serious music fan -- that is anyone who sees the radio pirates as kindred spirits -- will be outraged by its sloppy approach to the history of rock and roll.
Globe and Mail
November 13, 2009
Forty years ago, they couldn't get these songs on the radio; now we can't get them off.
It is a great cast and the perfect one for a group of oddballs such as this. If only the script had been able to match the caliber of the acting, there might have been a really special film here.
Curtis's movie is loosely based on the historical truths of the time, but it isn't meant as a documentary, a rockumentary, or even a docucomedy. It's just a hell of a lot of fun.
