Minimalist to an extreme, "Radio On" is a low-budget, black-and-white film obviously informed by the ruminating works of Wim Wenders (who co-produced) and Michelangelo Antonioni. A quietly hip, late-night DJ (David Beames) hears of his brother's suicide and takes a… More
Minimalist to an extreme, "Radio On" is a low-budget, black-and-white film obviously informed by the ruminating works of Wim Wenders (who co-produced) and Michelangelo Antonioni. A quietly hip, late-night DJ (David Beames) hears of his brother's suicide and takes a long, slow drive to visit the scene. He encounters various people along the way (including the punk-era Sting as a singing gas-station attendant who loves Eddie Cochran) and has some aimless conversations before moving on. He meets a few women, but his character is so vacant and withdrawn that there's no question of him pursuing sex with them. This is a solitary journey.
"Radio On" has a fine period soundtrack (David Bowie, Robert Fripp, Kraftwerk, Devo, Lene Lovich, Wreckless Eric though, oddly, no Modern Lovers) and mostly serves as a mood piece. It's also a time-capsule look at a dour, depressed England. If this quintessential road movie's lack of story doesn't make you bail out in frustration, you'll finish in a satisfying, reflective state of mind. The film is also mandatory for Jim Jarmusch fans -- and bear in mind that it was released five years before "Stranger Than Paradise."
