|||
It seems somewhat appropriate that I saw Michael Winterbottom’s film “24 Hour Party People” around the same time that I saw “Adaptation”. Both films are self- referencial, but while “Adapatation” is inward-looking, “24 Hour Party People” uses the self-referentiality to tell the fascinating story of Factory Records, Manchester, England and Tony. Written by Frank Cottrell Boyce, the film uses Tony Wilson to tie what could be a massive undertaking into a quick history of how music, people, and how a city evolved from 1976 to 1992. Steve Coogan plays Tony Wilson and he talks to the camera, commenting on his character and the film. Beautifully shot by Robby Müller, the film visually changes to match the time where the story is taking place. The casual, hand-held look of the film hides the technical complexity of the film that is just lurking beneath the surface as the complicated story is illustrated with seamless story-driven special effects.