When Harvey Met Bob

Peter McGinn

This was quite entertaining when it wasn’t irritating, and I must hereby confess that all of my irritation emanated from the Bob Geldof character. Okay, I know, he was the inspired, ethical (when it suited his goals) punk rocker who gave birth to and oversaw the miracle that was Live Aid, and he deserves all the accolades he gets. And yet, as the movie progressed, Harvey emerged from Geldof’s shadow to become the real hero of the story, in my mind. How on this green Earth did he put up with the petulant, uncompromising grandstanding actions of his counterpart, who was willing to burn down the house by rolling the dice on a bet the other guy will blink first? Now I also recognize that this movie isn’t about the music but rather the administration and planning required to make it happen, Still, when I heard clips of music from the Live Aid performers, I wished they could play the entire songs. Also, what is the deal with Geldof’s wife/girlfriend? Did she not have a personality? A few more scenes with her might have been demonstrative about how the hero is thought of in his own home. So I had issues with the movie, but it is worth watching once, dudes and dudettes.