24 Hour Party People (2002)

Directed by: Michael Winterbottom | 117 minutes | biography, drama, comedy, music | Actors: Steve Coogan, John Thomson, Nigel Pivaro, Lennie James, Shirley Henderson, Martin Hancock, Chris Coghill, Mark Windows, Paddy Considine, John Simm, Dave Gorman, Andy Serkis, Danny Cunningham

Main character Tony Wilson: glider pilot for his TV show So it Goes, high flyer in everyday life. Confident, dry, always talking (often directly into the camera), arranging and bragging. But he also received an education at Cambridge. Steve Coogan’s portrayal of Tony Wilson is more than memorable, it’s a comedic performance. Just as dynamic as the character Wilson is the credits: real images of Ian Curtis and the Sex Pistols, among others, are flooded with liquid letters while the title song of The Happy Mondays is played. ’24 Hour Party People’ races like an express train through several decades of British music history and will not slow down until the end point is reached: the end of the 90s. The editing is therefore fast, lightning-fast, live images of artists are followed by atmospheric images from the news, drug hallucinations, bizarre topics from Tony’s TV show and, let’s not forget, the story of Factory Records, the Hacienda and bands like Joy Division. Tony Wilson’s 1980s Manchester is rightly called Madchester.

Not only the lead role is perfectly cast, the entire cast is excellent. Sean Harris in particular is a perfect incarnation of the thin, depressed Joy Division singer Ian Curtis with his robotic dances and solitary gaze. In addition, Andy Serkis stands out as fat quirky studio miracle worker Martin Hannett and Paddy Considine naturally plays Joy Division manager Rob Gretton. What mainly provides entertainment are the small roles played by celebrities. The real Tony Wilson also plays a part in this film, as does the real Buzzcocks singer Howard Devoto (who says he has no recollection of the sex he allegedly had with Wilson’s first wife), the bassist of The Stone Roses, the lead singer of The Fall and Vinnie Reilly.

However, all these famous musicians are overshadowed by Tony Wilson, who himself vociferously claims that this film is not about him, but about music and the people who make the music, such as Ian Curtis. Ian Curtis actually deserves his own movie. The nice, low-key dramatic part of the film set aside for his suicide seems a little out of place. Hence maybe when we see him dangling there is a dancing chicken on the TV in the background. There has to be some irony through the tragic, otherwise the film would lose its momentum. Ian’s subplot is actually too sad a note in this musical story. There are certainly more unpleasant events in the film, but Tony always rolls over them with bravura, such as the moment when his first wife Lindsay leaves him: This is obviously a low point in my life…this is the 2nd act. And immediately follows a cheerful comic image of pigeons being hunted on a roof.

Michael Winterbottom, who has made drama films such as ‘In This World’ and the comedy ‘A Cock and a Bull Story’, made the controversial music/sex film ‘9 Songs’ in 2004, in which the characters do nothing else then go to concerts and make love in a very intimate and explicit way. Music and sex, drama and comedy.

In ’24 Hour Party People’ music and comedy dominate. There’s something tragicomic about Tony Wilson’s character, with his undisclosed second wife and his failed ideal of complete artistic freedom. But as a bum calls to him: The worst times, like the best, are always passing away. Tony always lands on his feet, after all he is the doppelgänger of God in his drug addiction and God is always right. If you don’t want to take Tony as your God, this movie might be a little less entertaining for you.