I managed to squeeze a viewing of 24 Hour Party People into my busy weekend. I'd been pretty eager to finally see a dramatization of the whole Factory Records evolution, but when I finally got into my seat I was strangely nervous, as if I was suddenly afraid the whole thing was going to be terrible. Ten minutes into the film my nervousness hadn't abated, although I was giggling consistently at Steve Coogan (a.k.a British fake talk-show host Alan Partridge ... "A HAAA!") playing Factory mastermind Tony Wilson.

After leaving the theater two hours later, I can confidently say my anxiousness was for naught ... this movie is brilliant. Instead of taking a documentary approach, the film refuses to identify the line between history and legend. Tony Wilson speaks freely to the camera about the events unfolding, and assorted persons pop in to state that they don't remember this or that particular incident ever happening. The film is a celebration of the music and Tony Wilson's efforts to further that music.

Live footage of the bands of the era(s) are spliced into the story, which works particularly well within the framework of the handheld shots making up the majority of the film. Some may be wary of actors trying to fill the shoes of such icons as Ian Curtis, but I felt that most of the roles were filled wonderfully. A few notable exceptions: I thought the actor playing Joy Division manager Rob Gretton looked more like Peter Hook, and the actor playing Happy Mondays bassist Paul Ryder wasn't cast nearly as well as his brother, Happy Mondays head-lunatic Shaun Ryder.

It's a movie that caters to me on all levels. Definitely worth seeing. As for the other movie I saw this weekend, Pootie Tang, I can say only "wa-da-ta".