24 Hour Party People (2002)

Portrait of New Wave impresario Tony Wilson is the kind of film that remains consistently interesting moment to moment even as you realize it doesn't really hang together. The narrative drive is lacking to the point where it feels like a collection of vaguely related scenes all invited to the same party, and yet it doesn't matter. The film is about characters who live for the moment and that's exactly what the finished product does -- it exists for the moment. So we get plenty of fourth-wall breakage and long digressions about nothing and scenes that work on two levels (so we're told by Wilson himself), not to mention a salacious rumor about Howard Devoto followed immediately by a scene where Devoto steps on screen and says he doesn't remember that happening. It's that kind of film. No emotional investment whatsoever, but it's a blast to watch anyway. (It kind of helps if you like the music.)

Grade: B