Economics and music are the twin focal points of this comedy/drama about a community in crisis. The small British town of Grimley has long been dominated by the coal mine where most of the men work, and the town's greatest source of pride is the Grimley Colliery Band, a brass ensemble that's won a number of nationwide .. Read more
| Starring | Pete Postlethwaite, Ewan McGregor, Tara Fitzgerald, Stephen Tompkinson |
|---|---|
| Director | Mark Herman |
| Genres | Drama |
loading...
Economics and music are the twin focal points of this comedy/drama about a community in crisis. The small British town of Grimley has long been dominated by the coal mine where most of the men work, and the town's greatest source of pride is the Grimley Colliery Band, a brass ensemble that's won a number of nationwide competitions. Danny (Pete Postlewaite) is a retired miner in poor health who directs the band; a national championship is coming up, and Danny is determined that Grimley will walk away with a trophy. But many of his musicians have other things on their minds: word has it that the mine may soon close down, and, in a city already suffering an economic downturn, this is just short of a death sentence. Adding to the intrigue is the return of Gloria (Tara Fitzgerald), who used to live in Grimley and is back in town for a while on an assignment. While the band has traditionally been all-male, Danny considers bending the rules to allow Gloria in the band, as she's a fine fluglehorn player, but her presence is bad news for the town: she works for the government and is investigating the feasibility of closing down the mine. Ace trumpeter Andy (Ewan McGregor) also has mixed feelings about Gloria; they were once a couple, and he still has feelings for her, but he's not sure he wants to set himself up for another breakup. The real-life Grimethorpe Colliery Band performs on the soundtrack.~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
| Starring | Pete Postlethwaite, Ewan McGregor, Tara Fitzgerald, Stephen Tompkinson, Stephen Thompkinson, Philip Jackson, Stephen Moore, Ronnie Stevens, Sally Ann Matthews, Melanie Hill, Sue Johnston, Jim Carter, Peter Gunn, Ken Kitson, Olga Grahame, Ro, Ronnie Stev |
|---|---|
| Director | Mark Herman |
| Studio | CINEMA CLUB |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 43 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Subtitles | DVD: None |
| Released | DVD: 20 Mar 2004 Production year: 1996 |
| Format | DVD |
It was almost inevitable that comparisons would be made between this Yorkshire-set drama and The Full Monty. But, whereas The Full Monty was an unashamedly feel-good movie, this is a much less cosy affair, in which the future of an entire community is at stake. There's a certain Ealing-like quality in the way the mining town of Grimley rallies around the colliery's brass band as it progresses to the national finals amid talk of pit closures and redundancies. But there's no coy comedy here. The humour is acerbic and near the knuckle. Also missing is the Capra-esque last act in which the everyday folk triumph over adversity. Instead, there's only the promise of more struggle and the grim realisation that a way of life has gone for ever. The edgy pace writer/director Mark Herman brings to the drama and his presentation of the musical sequences can't be faulted, and he draws remarkable performances from a strong cast.
"There's a lot to enjoy in BRASSED OFF....[Fitzgerald] proves once again a striking screen presence and Postlethwaite brings natural dignity to the part..."
This film can not be praised enough. The clever humour of Blackadder, the emotion of a true tearjerker, and the feel good ending of Four Weddings. The story of a dying mining community fighting back thru' humour and their brass band is truly uplifting - check it out, you won't regret it, and then buy the soundtrack to keep your memories fresh.
Great music,Great film,you feel for the characters as their lives are turned upside down.some small victories and a major defeat for the miners.BRILLIANT.
A film that was set in Pennan, Aberdeenshire, has come top of a poll to find the best use of a film location in Britain. Local Hero, made in 1983, was a Bafta-winning comedy directed by Bill Forsyth that starred Burt Lancaster, Denis Lawson, Peter Capaldi and Jenny Seagrove. The poll of 2,000 film critics and journalists was carried out for the Film Distributors' Association. Lord Puttnam, who produced Local Hero, said: "I am delighted but not all that surprised that Local Hero has proved... Read more