Rating: 
Summary: How real is real?
Review: To call this movie a "docudrama" is probably giving too much credit to its factual accuracy. In the DVD Special Features there's an audio commentary from "The Real" Tony Wilson, which reveals that this movie is only loosely based on real events and he seems at times to be quite irked at the account of events and Steve Coogan's portrayal of him. And whilst Factory Records and the Hacienda undoubtedly played a huge part in British music and club culture, to refer to it as the "birthplace of rave" is clearly incorrect. For the uninformed fan of the Northern rave/indie/Madchester (call it what you will) scene, this movie is best enjoyed as a comedy, not a historically reliable document. However, the recreation of the Hacienda itself is simply stunning - its visual accuracy is utterly flawless. When I was watching for the first time I had to check on the DVD cover to see if it was really filmed in 2002, because I couldn't believe it wasn't the real thing. I for one am pleased that the film didn't accurately reflect the last couple of years at the Hac, when gang infiltration made the place seedy and at times frightening. I prefer to remember it in the way it is depicted in the penultimate scene of the movie, the fictional 'last night at the Hacienda'. For anyone who spent nights and early mornings on that dancefloor, this scene makes this a must-own DVD. It will bring back happy memories and a strange feeling in the pit of your stomach of yearning for something that you once had that you know you'll never quite get back. It's not real, but in a way it's better than real.
Rating: 
Summary: If you like these bands, this was SOOO entertaining.
Review: When I read the bio's on the Mondays I laughed, but seeing it visually explained in 24 Hour Party People is PRICELESS. Not only did these actors have striking resemblances to the musicians, they were good actors as well. The time on the film runs a little long, but when will you ever have another film directed at these music legends? The cameos were exceptional...OH, and the classic kicker of Sumner seeing Shaun for the first time - this is a must buy for any Joy Division/New Order or Happy Mondays/Manchester fan.
Rating:
Summary: An over-literate wanker and his record label.
Review: I enjoyed this very much. This is a far-from-definitive and not-quite-accurate story of Tony Wilson, Factory Records, and Manchester. The movie focuses on Tony Wilson's "but I was there..." experience at a Sex Pistols show, his two music venues, his record label, Joy Division, and the Happy Mondays. The movie also touches on New Order, Vini Reilly, A Certain Ratio, and Tony's various assignments as a TV personality. I didn't know much about Factory Records, etc before seeing this, but was definitely interested. If you're the same way, it's likely you'll enjoy this as much as I did.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant brilliant brilliant
Review: As a student in the 1980's I remember the Factory Records phenomena and was a passionate fan (still am) of Joy Division and New Order and this film was 2 hours of nostalgia heaven for me.Everything seemed to blend and work well.The actors (especially Danny Cunningham as Shaun Ryder and John Simm as Bernie Sumner) bore an uncanny resemblence to their characters physically and Steve Coogan has never been better.Move over Alan Partridge and Paul Calf.A special mention must also go to Frank Cottrill Boyce's script for it's authenticity and the ever excellent Robby Muller's photography for it's grimy views of Manchester.I also think Michael Winterbottom has not made a finer film.
Yet it's the music that makes the film.For Brits like myself it's like time travel.For anyone else it's a chance to learn the story behind some of the best music of the 80's and how 'Madchester' became 'Gunchester'.The film doesn't sugarcoat everything.The gang warfare in Manchester was frightening and the film conveys the decline of the Hacienda well.
There are no Hollywood happy endings here,no stars.It's often unflinching but is so unmistakably British and so well acted it should and deserves to do well in America.One film everyone must see this year.No film is perfect but this one comes bloody close.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent art-house film
Review: This is a fantastic film by British director Michael Winterbottom which explores the history of England's post-punk Factory Records through the hilarious perspective of its founder Tony Wilson. True, your enjoyment of the film will be greatly enhanced if you are/were a fan of Joy Division (the band that became New Order) or the Happy Mondays (the band that seemed to accidentally invent techno and the rave generation), but even for the unannointed, the film is painfully (and humorously) honest, filled with self-depricating wit, and a must-see for those eager to explore low-budget, Dogme 95-esque video-filmmaking. Winterbottom may not be as devoted to the craft and cinematic grammar of directing as he is to capturing the tone and emotion of the story, but this lopsidedness actually seems to enhance the film, which feels as if it was made during the anything-goes moment of post-punk and MTV.
Rating:
Summary: This movie is just way too cool
Review: I've read some bad reviews on here, but I enjoyed this film. I'm certain that if you're even the least bit interested in where the rave scene started, you will enjoy this film. It starts out in the late 70's with the inception of Factory Records and goes through the entire rise and then subsequent fall of the company. With music from such bands as the Happy Mondays, Joy Division, New Order and even the Sex Pistols...all who were at least once released under the Facotry Records label. Along the way are some great moments in music history that I'm sure many are totally unaware of, and perhaps many don't care to know of. Regardless of that though this is an entertaining film. The DVD looka great, and actually has a commentary track from the real Tony Wilson, the man behind it all.
Rating: 
Summary: Perhaps fun for an insider,but not the best of introductions
Review: This film, starring Steve Coogan, tells the story of Factory Records and the seminal role it played in the late 70's-early 80's Manchester music scene. This is a subject I knew very little about; someone with greater knowledge and/or appreciation of the subject matter may have had a very different viewing experience. I however did not feel like I learned much about the music, personalities (with the exception of Wilson, to some extent), music industry, or region for that matter. On the other hand, the movie is somewhat more successful when looked at less analytically. Coogan is quite funny during the first third of the film, and is even convincing in the latter parts as a man lost in the heart of the 1980s (if Wilson was much more than that then, it isn't conveyed here). Also amusing enough are some of the drug crazed antics. Still, not exactly the full-on sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll excesses you might expect from the title and cover description. But unfortunately, when the movie tries to be serious, it generally fails. Despite the fact that the motives behind the suicide are not well explored, the suicide is never the less predictable. Other aspects of the effort that feel luke-warm at best include the specious rationale for all the drugs in the club, and more importantly, the failure to explore musical creation or musical passion more than superficially. But maybe this somewhat rambling movie is just supposed to be about Wilson. He certainly comes across as contradictory, which is intriguing but in my opinion not sufficient. He just doesn't seem-from what we see here--to have the charisma or vision to anchor this entire film for two solid hours. Again though, perhaps one with more understanding and appreciation of the time, place, and scene would feel differently.
Rating: 
Summary: What?!!!
Review: I was really looking forward to seeing this because A. My friends have all been recommending it to me B. I LOVED Wonderland C. I'm a big punk rock fan. The music is good but the movie is (bad)... Buy the soundtrack maybe but don't waste your time with this film. What a dissapointment.
Rating:
Summary: good intentions but badly adapted for screen
Review: great story, and an important tale to tell, unfortunatley the movie does not live up to expectations. Its just a bad movie: hard to follow, hard to hear (audio is soft), a lot of the story gets lost and muddled along the way, and another downside, Steve Coogan in the starring role. Thumbs down. Read the book instead.
Rating:
Summary: Great, but too much emphasis on the Happy Mondays
Review: I love this movie!
Steve Coogan is absolutely hilarious in his delivery and angst when dealing with that guy who refers to "Brian Martin" and "George Epstein." The look of irritance on his face is classic, as is his incredibily polite request to the girl when he's in the back of the van. "Thank You!"
What is the best, however, is the emphasis the movie places on Joy Division, clearly one of the most influential and best bands ever to come out of England (or anywhere else for that matter). The actor playing Ian Curtis was excellent and you feel the emotion of him especially in the scene where they're driving around in the car listening to the recording of "She's Lost Control." When they focus on him and the film changes to black and white there is the sense of the dread he felt at success. I note that the soundtrack to the movie includes the excellent song Ceremony, which was omitted from the movie itself, as far as I could tell. A great song that deserved more attention, even if it was recorded with Sumner on vocals, not Curtis. The soundtrack also has the song "Temptation," which is the best song New Order ever released, in my opinion. I don't recall this being in the movie, either.
I thought there was too much of the Happy Mondays in the movie, although they were a great band as well, though I never knew Shaun Ryder was such a jerk. What about The Stone Roses, Inspiral Carpets, Charlatans UK, Northside, 808 State, etc? Didn't they all play at the Hacienda as well during this time?
A great movie all in all. Highly recommended.
Oh, in the scene at the Hacienda where no one's there and the one guy finishes his set and comes to talk to Wilson, is that supposed to be Billy Bragg? Sort of looked like him, yeah?
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