Pirate Radio ***

Set on a ship in the North Sea in the 1960's, "Pirate Radio" purports to tell us the story of a wildly popular rock and roll station forced to transmit from international waters because of the restrictions of a too-prim British government. There's a large and colorful cast, including a nicely rumpled Philip Seymour Hoffman as a DJ, and Bill Nighy in a marvelous turn as the station's business manager. There are good helpings of drugs, sex, and, of course, rock and roll throughout. Writer/ Director / Producer Richard Curtis manages to keep everything afloat, as it were, in spite of the number of characters, but I was bothered by an absence of the men who kept the ship going, the captain and the crew, who rate only one passing mention. This was probably a calculation by Curtis to keep the story from getting too overloaded, and my companion said he never noticed. It's a fun movie, and a great chance to revisit some great songs. And don't leave before the credits, which feature a gallery of famous album covers.

Rated R. 116 minutes. Richard Curtis - Director / Writer / Producer, Hilary Bevan Jones - Producer, Tim Bevan - Producer, Eric Fellner - Producer, Danny Cohen - Cinematographer, Mark Tildesley - Production Designer, Emma E. Hickox - Editor.

Principle actors: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nigh, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Sturridge, Talulah Riley, and January Jones.