Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
Directed by: Declan Lowney
Starring: Steve Coogan, Colm Meaney
Reviewed by Adam Harmer
[rating: 4.5/5]
Steve Coogan has been portraying the character of Alan Partridge in various formats for almost two decades now, making him a household name in the UK. Partridge is a fictional ageing talk show host who has popped up in a variety of British television series since the mid-nineties, documenting his hard and graceless decline of celebrity status as he plummets from television pseudo-celebrity to regional radio nobody. The awkward and jarring brand of humour employed by Coogan as the tactless Partridge paved the way for many other comedians such as Ricky Gervais. Despite the accolades and success in England Alan Partridge for some unknown reason has never garnered more than a loyal cult following internationally.
Regardless, the Partridge fans out there have been clamouring for a film for what seemed like a life time – And the good news is, we’ve finally got one. Aha!
The only issues now are, firstly; Whether the long awaited film will live up to the incredibly high standards of the previous incarnations, and secondly; Will people unfamiliar with the character be able to enjoy the film as well?
I’ll spare you the tedium of waiting by giving a big thumbs up to both queries.
The years have not been kind to Alan Partridge who has slowly descended through the entertainment industry from hosting his own BBC television series in the nineties to where we find him today – manning the morning program of the remote radio station North Norfolk Digital. And, as we find at the start of the film, even this little radio station is not a safe haven as it’s being slowly transformed into a trendy youth-oriented business by discarding any personalities and relics from a bygone era. The first of the old timers on the chopping block is DJ Pat Farrel (Colm Meaney) who upon losing his job (partially and secretly at the hands of Alan) comes back angered and armed and holds everyone in the station hostage. Alan is assigned by the police to act as liaison to Pat during the siege, but with the radio station still broadcasting, he seems much more concerned with regaining his semi-stardom.
The set up is a perfect alchemist for Coogan’s brand of Partridge stew. The siege raises the stakes for the big screen event and gives ample opportunity for Alan to completely disregard those stakes – blinded by his own narcissism.
Alpha-Papa is a success on every level. It gives plenty of fan service, bringing back characters like his assistant Lyn and his northern acquaintance Michael, both from the 1997 TV series and also retaining his more recent associates like Sidekick Simon from 2011’s web series. It’s a great mix all around and I can’t see any fans not being satisfied.
For newcomers to the character, there is no previous information required at all. You can easily hit the ground running.
The set up is well staged and the comedy pays off richly. The jokes come much harder and faster than most comedies. It never gives up for a moment. There have been a lot of people waiting a long time for this film and now that it’s here it’s definitely been worth the wait.
But regardless of the long legacy of Alan Partridge, I just can’t praise the film highly enough. There wouldn’t be many people who don’t find it utterly hilarious. I can very easily see it becoming England’s answer to ‘Anchorman’.
