Good Vibrations

Good Vibrations

Rated MA

Review by David Stratton

As a kid, Belfast-born Terri Hooley suffered for his Dad's politics - another kid fired an arrow at him and he lost an eye. As a man, played by stage actor RICHARD DORMER, Terri finds work as a DJ in a pub, where he meets Ruth, JODIE WHITTAKER. Soon Terri is promoting local punk bands, while fending off IRA extremists. He proves to be a bad husband and father, but his love of music sees him through.

This biopic, co-produced by Michael Winterbottom's company, is energetic and interesting in its depiction of the way the most extreme conflicts in troubled Northern Ireland could be somewhat alleviated through popular music. How true this is I'm not certain, but the film, enjoyable as much of it is, can't decide whether to criticise Hooley for drinking too much and neglecting his wife and child or praise him for his contribution to punk music. In the end he emerges as a very flawed hero.

Further comments

DAVID: What did you think of him, Margaret?

MARGARET: I thought he was a very flawed hero, exactly, and I think that was my problem with the film, that I found him so unsympathetic and such a cheat in a way. But the thing that I liked about it was this whole arrival of punk in Northern Island and the energy that that gives the film.

DAVID: Yes.

MARGARET: But I have opted out of quite a lot of his story and I thought he was - everybody is raving about this performance but I didn’t like it very much, but maybe I just didn’t like the character.

DAVID: Yes, I felt much the same, I must say.

MARGARET: Yes, I can only give it three stars, David.

DAVID: I am with you on this one. Three from me too.