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24 Hour Party People on DVD (2002)

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Average rating: 70%
1113513152058
3.0
from 2,694 members
 
Starring: Steve Coogan | Keith Allen | Jim Cartwright | Lennie James | Paddy Considine | Danny Cunningham | Ralph Little | Sean Harris | Shirley Henderson | Andy Serkis | John Simm
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Studio: PATHE DISTRIBUTION
Run time: 117 mins
Certificate: 18
User collections: Some of the best films of 2002 | Comedic Classics | Championship Movies | EnterTheBlack!! | Thatcher's Britain | Must See Classics | Films I own and Love | The films I like are better than the films you like | 'Best of breed'
Genres: Comedy
Languages: English
Released: 26/08/2002

Brief synopsis of 24 Hour Party People

Staggeringly versatile director Michael Winterbottom follows up his epic Western THE CLAIM with a period piece of a completely different variety. A sprawling, visceral tribute to the legendary Manchester music scene that flourished between the years of 1976 and 1992, 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE recreates that influential era with reckless exuberance. In order to bring structure to the tale, Winterbottom and screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce focus their attentions on Tony Wilson (Steve Coogan), the man who was responsible for making it all happen. A television reporter by day, Wilson also led a notorious double life as band manager (Joy Division, the Happy Mondays, James), label president (Factory Records), and club owner (The Hacienda). Fiercely determined and dangerously stubborn, Wilson's energy gave an entire subculture of Manchester youths their place in the spotlight, forever changing the face of popular music in the process. Shot by acclaimed cinematographer Robby Muller in faded digital video, Winterbottom's pulsating film tears through its subject matter like an ecstasy induced history lesson. The performances are flawless from top to bottom, most notably Wilson, Sean Harris, Paddy Considine, John Simm, and Danny Cunningham. A must-see for music aficionados, Winterbottom's film is also worth viewing for its sheer sense of hyperkinetic entertainment.

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Critics Reviews

Rating of 4 stars out of 5 Radio Times

Prolific director Michael Winterbottom is unafraid of mythologising a slice of recent musical/cultural history in this comedy drama, which tells the story of the rise and fall of Manchester's Factory Records and the world-famous Hacienda nightclub. Using TV presenter and Factory impresario Tony Wilson to tell the tale — often directly to camera — is the movie's masterstroke. Wilson, played with relish by Steve Coogan, is in real life a self-publicist of gigantic proportions, so when he compares shambolic Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder (an uncanny impersonation by Danny Cunningham) to WB Yeats, you take it with a pinch of salt but buy into it anyway. Unlikely to make sense to anyone who didn't experience the music and mania of the “Madchester” years — and yet bound to enrage those who were there with its flippant abuse of documentary truth — this is an infectious, well-cast blend of evocative energy, fine vintage music and irreverent humour.

Rating of 1 stars out of 4 Halliwell's Film Guide

A true story, of drugs and rock, of pop success and business failure, that is treated as low comedy; it will be enjoyed by those who can relate to the music and the brief years when Manchester bands were significant.

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Members Reviews

Reviews Voted Most Helpful

Rated - 5 starsMadchester!

GaryJ from Cheshire , 14/10/2003

As a student in the 1980's I remember the Factory Records phenomena and was a passionate fan (still am) of Joy Division and New Order and this film was 2 hours of nostalgia heaven for me. Everything seemed to blend and work well. The actors (especially Danny Cunningham as Shaun Ryder and John Simm as Bernie Sumner) bore an uncanny resemblence to their characters physically and Steve Coogan has never been better. Move over Alan Partridge and Paul Calf. A special mention must also go to Frank Cottrill Boyce's script for it's authenticity and the ever excellent Robby Muller's photography for it's grimy views of Manchester. I also think Michael Winterbottom has not made a finer film.

Yet it's the music that makes the film.For Brits like myself it's like time travel. For anyone else it's a chance to learn the story behind some of the best music of the 80's and how 'Madchester' became 'Gunchester'. The film doesn't sugarcoat everything. The gang warfare in Manchester was frightening and the film conveys the decline of the Hacienda well. There are no Hollywood happy endings here, no stars. It's often unflinching but is so unmistakably British and so well acted it should and deserves to do well in America. One film everyone must see this year. No film is perfect but this one comes bloody close.

  17 out of 19 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 3 starsGood if you were there

A customer from Manchester , 20/01/2004

Good film and Coogan is in fine form as Tony Wilson. If you like the music, then it's a good film with plenty of laughs.

  8 out of 12 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 4 starsFascinating for anyone with an interest in music

Sam from Midlands, UK , 01/01/2005

This film tells the story of Factory Records and the Hacienda club through a mixture of documentary-style footage, drama and tongue-in-cheek, post-modern narration to camera by various characters, all the time aware that they can only present a version of events and that things may not have happened the way they seem to on screen.

A brilliant, hilarious, ironic film. Steve Coogan is perfectly cast as Tony Wilson, playing him as visionary and buffoon. One of the funniest and most telling moments is when god appears to him in his own image on the roof.

I loved this film! Contrary to what many other reviewers have said, you do not need to have been there or even have heard of the bands featured - I didn't know much about Joy Division before this film, but I do now! It spent a little too long with the Happy Mondays who aren't quite as interesting as New Order, but otherwise the way the film charts the changing styles of music from punk to dance is fascinating for anyone with an interest in music.

  6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 5 stars

Johnnie O'Byrne from Scotland , 30/05/2007

This is an absolute gem. Possibly Michael Winterbottom's best film. Steve Coogan plays Tony Wilson and shines. Wilson seems to be more than willing to have his characterisation presented playfully and the film is full of humour, poignancy and insight. Fantastically constructed as the narrative drifts from first person to standard, from bizarre visual effects to an almost social realism. Great performances, a fantastic script, brilliant music and a right good laugh. Top notch, right up there as one of the best British films (at least in contemporary terms)

  6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
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Most Recent Reviews

Rated - 5 starsEpic, classic, beautiful, sad, funny, inspirational, - The list of adjectives is endless

Dom Kerridge from the one and only MANCHESTER , 31/05/2006

This is quite simply the most beautiful story ever told via the medium of film. Or so it has you believing. You may have noticed where I am from (see above) and I can tell you that I am a huge of the music that this story features but this does not in any way give me any bias towards the quality of the film - the film is inarguably stunning to any fan of film or fan of quality. It works on many, many levels, so many that i will not waste our precious time trying to identify them all, this time should be spent clicking RENT THIS MOVIE, RENT THIS MOVIE, you simply must RENT THIS MOVIE. Have I not convinced you? Well I suppose all the convincing you need is in the film itself so do yourself a favour and enrich your life, because I guarantee that this film will have a permanent effect on you, it certainly has on me.

  4 out of 5 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 2 starsWho Says 80's music was naff!!

Mitchell1996 from Lancs , 12/02/2004

Joy Division, Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses, Duretti Column, New Order....

Who says the 80's was a naff time for music?? Certainly not I!!

"24 Hour Party People" loosely follows the rise and fall of indie guru Anthony H Wilson throughout the 80's and 90's in his attempt to bring indie music and his own club, The Hacienda, to the fore.

As a keen fan of the above bands I thoroughly enjoyed this DVD (having also viewed the film at the cinema upon it's original release).

Seeing legends such as Mr Wilson, Shaun Ryder, Bez etc being played by actors is a bit wierd, but there are plenty of cameo appearances to keep you amused (look at for Mani, Stone Roses fans).

Not a bad reconstruction of events (although all seen through Mr Wilson's eyes) and the soundtrack is particularly belting.

Now, where did I leave my hooded top and flares??

Rave On!!!!!!!!!!!

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
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