Critic's Grade: B-

I am not the person to review this movie. Being completely unfamiliar with the punk rock craze born in Manchester, England in the 1970's, I entered into the world of Michael Winterbottom's "24 Hour Party People" not knowing what to expect. What I got was an experience I won't soon forget, as much as I might like to; the film is like an acid trip that leaves you wondering whether or not you really enjoyed yourself. It never stops moving, it has a frantic, manic energy to it that is admirably well-paced in places, and for those familiar with its subject matter, it will no doubt provide them with two hours of nostalgic heaven.

For those not in the know, it's likely the film won't register. Odds are if you've never heard the name Tony Wilson before in your lifetime, you're not going to care about his exploits in the birth of a new wave of music. As documented throughout the movie, we witness Wilson's (Steve Coogan) interaction with groups like Joy Division, his reporting ventures for Granada T.V., his founding of Factory Records and the Hacienda Club, which could hold its own with America's own Club 54. The manner in which Winterbottom carries out the proceedings is quite unique, not quite a documentary, and nowhere near a third-person point-of-view. Coogan's Wilson, a jovial, at-times humorous character, gestures directly toward the camera, as if inviting us on a tour of his life as it happens, moment by moment.

Rock concerts and performances are made all-the-more authentic in nature by Winterbottom's incorporation of actual footage of bands like the Sex Pistols and Joy Division with the newly-shot film of his characters and their reactions. He supplies these scenes with a high degree of frenetic craziness that is at once brilliantly maddening and headache-inducing. Consider a scene later in the movie that takes place during a rave; the scene is so well-photographed and high on the energy of the moment of being there, that it puts down all the collective scenes of a movie like "Groove" to shame. In terms of capturing the drugged-out haze of the era, Winterbottom has done considerably well.

Opening the film's material to a broad range of audience members, however, is another story. The film's take-no-prisoners approach will most likely appeal to a select few, leaving a more mainstream following out of the question. This isn't the film's fault by any means: it's a certain type of movie about a certain type of music, and much like that music, it's not for everybody. I myself wasn't particularly shocked or shaken by the experience, but I'm willing to admit the film is well-made and does have a purpose for those it's aimed at. "24 Hour Party People" is a movie without much middle ground, a love-it-or-hate-it experience that will be a party for some, and a hangover for others.

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