Review | Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

I went to see Alpha Papa last week and it is freaking amazing!!

As always, SPOILER ALERT! Go watch the trailer and film then come back if you haven’t seen it.

I’m not going to lie, I adore Alan Partridge. And whilst you may think this makes me biased in favour of the DJ in fact it meant I had such high expectations for the film from my love of the TV show. I was very dubious when I entered the cinema, what if the film was rubbish? What if it ruined my favourite sitcom? I was nervous and the tension was not resolved by the trailers, (Insidious 2 and You’re Next – both look HORRIBLE!) I was a wreck by the start of the film!

And so it began. We meet Alan working on Mid Morning Matters with Sidekick Simon on North Norfolk Digital which has been bought out by a hip new radio chain, Shape. They’ve sacked fellow DJ Pat and he’s not happy! A hostage situation ensues and Alan has to save the day.

Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge at the premiere in Norwich. Photograph: The Guardian

The cast are excellent; Lynn is back doting upon Alan, Michael is back hiding in cupboards and Alan is as wonderfully awkward and endearing as ever. There is a real honesty to this film – there is no big budget, stylistic, self-indulgence – it is just a raw, independent movie filmed in Norfolk by people who just want Alan to live on. It’s truly brilliant.

This is a comedy and it really is laugh out loud funny. The whole cinema was chuckling and roaring with laughter throughout. There are also different types of comedy; the slapstick man-gina moment, the classic British dry humour runs constantly and the clever unrelenting puns and wit provided by Simon adds another layer of dimension to this comedic feast.

There was so much pressure on this film to be great – Alan has a cult following who expect so much from the writers and actors. Coogan and Iannucci had to please the die-hard fans as well as making the film accessible to a broad cinema-going audience. And they succeded so brilliantly. This is the best film I’ve seen all year. By a country mile! The makers created a visual shrine to Alan and his lovable ways. I simply loved it! A-Ha!

Rx

PS. I’m going to see the soft-rock cocaine enthusiasts Fleetwood Mac this month – I’m so excited!!