140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW
Wonderfully made comedy that has ability to gut you with the hopelessness of the mining towns – and does. Great acting, music and heart…
Spoiler-free Movie Review of Brassed Off:
Two years before Little Voice, writer/director Mark Herman put out this tale of a South Yorkshire colliery brass band facing the possibility (near certainty) that their coal mining pit will be closed. Set in the 1990’s in the fictional Grimley (standing in for Grimethorpe, one of the poorest villages in England), the struggling town is hanging by a thread that is all but certain to be snipped. What difference does a brass band make?
The film is not marketed, at least in the US, as a political or social commentary, and to its credit, it largely isn’t. The miners situation is integral to the story – but it isn’t the story. This is a tale of hope and of people and how they respond to crisis. Even without a firm knowledge of the background to the story and England’s coal industry woes (which I certainly do not possess in any amount), the situation is clearly explained and understood.
It’s not a clean movie, but then neither is it depicting a clean story. This is not a romantic comedy, for all of the sparks between Ewan McGregor & Tara Fitzgerald and despite the marketing of the film. There are bumps all along the road and the narrative requires that you pay attention. That’s not to say that the film is muddled – it simply isn’t the straightforward tale you instinctively expect.
The film juggles quite a few main characters – possibly too many. Early on I was a bit confused. But they all have their own path and story and it’s all good stuff.
The standout star here is Pete Postlethwaite as band leader Danny Ormondroyd. His complete rigidity and indifference to the fate of the pit as it relates to his band is startling; he truly can’t understand why the members seem to be letting the imminent loss of their jobs affect their commitment to the band. His single-mindedness drives his son Phil (played brilliantly by Stephen Tompkinson) to continue to fall deeper in debt in order to remain with the band, even though it may cost him his marriage, home and health. The father/son dynamic is riveting.
Tara Fitzgerald handles the challenging role of Gloria Mullins well; Mullins has been dispatched to her hometown by the management of British Coal to determine the feasibility of the pit, a role she’d prefer not to disclose. She is torn by her responsibilities to the company versus her place in the band and burgeoning relationship with miner and horn player Andy Barrow (McGregor). The rest of the cast is made up of wonderful English character actors and members of the Grimethorpe Colliery Band.
Brassed Off is a funny film, but one that doesn’t shy away from a very hard time and raw emotions. It barely avoids being too heavy-handed, but it does come close to being emotionally manipulative. It’s a very interesting story, maybe more so for those of us who are unfamiliar with the historical context. The acting performances are excellent, bested only by the musical performances, which are stellar. Highly recommended.
Poster:
Trailer:
Bechdel Test:
Pass
The Representation Test Score: C (4 pts)
(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)
| Main Cast | Pete Postlethwaite Danny, Tara Fitzgerald Gloria, Ewan McGregor Andy, Stephen Tompkinson Phil |
| Rating | R |
| Release Date | Fri 23 May 1997 UTC |
| Director | Mark Herman |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama, Romance |
| Plot | The coal mine in a northern English village may be closing, which would also mean the end of the miners’ brass band. |
| Poster |  |
| Runtime | 107 |
| Tagline | Fed up with the system. Ticked off at the establishment. And mad about… each other. |
| Writers | Mark Herman (written by) |
| Year | 1996 |
