The name is Partridge, Alan Partridge.
The signature character of Steve Coogan may not be familiar
to American audiences, but he's been a staple in British comedy for twenty
years. He first appeared as an inept sports reporter on On the Hour, a spoof of the news broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Since
then, Partridge has graduated from recurring character to lead on his own shows
across radio and television along with his very own an autobiography I, Partridge. Coogan's portrayal of
Partridge was certainly an influence in his brilliant turn as Tony Wilson in
Michael Winterbottom's 24 Hour Party
People, a comedic account of the burgeoning Manchester music scene. Now,
Partridge has graduated to feature films with a self-titled comedy directed by
TV vet Declan Lowney with a script by Coogan, Armando Ianucci (creator of The Thick of It and Veep), Peter Baynham (a co-writer of Borat), and Neil & Rob Gibbons.
Originally released last year in England as Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, the movie
finds Alan Partridge as the host of Mid-Morning
Matters, an innocuous radio program on North Norfolk Digital. The station
has just been bought by the massive conglomerate of Gordale Media. Fellow DJ
Pat Farrell (Colm Meaney), who works the late night shift, is worried about his
job and asks Partridge to speak with the new head honchos. When Partridge
discovers the pink slip is going to either he or Farrell, he immediately throws
his pal under the bus. He even writes "Just Sack Pat" in bold, red
letters. Unfortunately, a disgruntled Farrell returns later that night
brandishing a shotgun and taking the radio staff hostage. Unaware of his
friend's duplicity, Farrell insists Partridge serve as an intermediary for the
police's negotiators. Partridge may be woefully unqualified for the job, but
that doesn't stop him from turning the tense situation into an opportunity to
elevate his star status.
The plot is a bit slight and the hostage situation was clearly
the type of action and drama that was necessary to carry the story to a feature
length run time. Also, they're late in the game when it comes to lampooning
corporate-owned media and awful morning talk radio. The movie really shines
when it unleashes Coogan and allows Alan Partridge to just be Alan Partridge.
Here's a guy who is self-serving, narcissistic, and with an overinflated
opinion of himself. He's a precursor to the oblivious obnoxiousness of Ricky
Gervais's David Brent on The Office. Coogan
is on top of his game rifling off one-liners and non sequiturs, such as when he
fills airtime with inane chatter ("We're
asking, what is the worst monger? Iron, fish, rumor, or war?") or
offering advice to his flunky Sidekick Simon (Tim Key) ("Never, ever criticize Muslims. Christians only and…sometimes
Jews."). Coogan doesn't shy away from slapstick either. In one scene,
he accidentally wanders out of the station and attempts to get back in and
winds up standing like Buffalo Bill without his trousers.
Colm Meaney gives a wonderfully understated performance as
the unstable Pat Farrell. Plus, the supporting cast includes Monica Dolan as a kindly
co-worker inexplicably sweet on Partridge and Sean Pertwee as a humorless SWAT
team leader.
Alan Partridge doesn't
require any previous knowledge of the character. Coogan hits the ground running
and you immediately get a sense of who this guy is. Best of all, the
screenwriters didn't feel the urge for Partridge to grow as a human being or
learn a valuable lesson. He's every bit the buffoon before and after.
Rating: *** (*****)
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