The latest comedy from Richard (Blackadder) Curtis follows the intrepid and eccentric crew of the Radio Rock boat, a pirate radio-station broadcasting from the North Sea at the height of their popularity in the 1960’s. Loosely based on the now legendary Radio Caroline Curtis’ latest is in thrall to good ol’ rock n roll, The Boat That Rocked unsurprisingly features a wicked soundtrack.

Though considered a vital part in the shaping of contemporary music and much loved by their loyal audience the zany DJ’s of Caroline were considered scurrilous rogues by the powers that be. So instead of merely being a source of the freshest sounds around the titular boat became a crucial part of the cultural zeitgeist shaping an entire generation’s idea of freedom of speech. Here, though, Curtis concentrates as much on the fun, bouncy antics as he does on the more sersous subject of the establishment restricting airplay.

The ensemble cast includes Rhys Ifans as a proto super star DJ, features the ever-likable Nick Frost, rising star Gemma Arterton, the really rather splendid Bill Nighy, the IT Crowds Chris O’ Dowd, thesp/director Kenneth Brannagh and heavyweight (in acting terms) Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Though a step away from the usual output produced by Curtis this is a marked step away from the formula he ‘perfected’ on Love Actually and Notting Hill. Advance word is that The Boat That Rocked is the very definition of hit and miss.

Now showing at Utopolis and Belval.

Watch the trailer

Official site: www.theboatthatrocked.co.uk