Hottoceame
The Age of Commercialism
VividSimon
Simply Perfect
Loui Blair
It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.
justinreynolds40
Before I start I'll say that "Brassed Off" is a silly name for this film. I would have chose something else. "King Coal" maybe? I dunno... anything but "Brassed Off".Anyway, I'm from one of South Yorkshire's ex-mining communities so I approached this film with a more critical mind. The coalfields have never been depicted well on film so I approached this with low expectations... and it exceeded them.This film really feels like they did their research. The accents are done pretty well and I definitely feel like I'm looking at a Barnsley mining village when I watch it, so I guess they did well with that. It's one of the better portrayals of South Yorkshire's coalfields, though there are still Northerner clichés in places that bug me.The main problem with this film is that it doesn't know what it wants to be. It doesn't know if it's a comedy or a hard hitting social commentary condemning Thatcher and the Conservative party. If they wanted to do a social commentary they should have just done a straight up social commentary. No need for any romance stuff. It's the social commentary and seeing how these characters cope with the situations they face which interest me the most and make this movie.There is comedy in here, which does stop the film from getting too depressing and political, though saying that if you're looking for a comedy then you might be disappointed as it does get pretty serious in the middle of the movie as the harsh reality of the situation hits home for the characters. If you're looking for more laughs I recommend The Full Monty instead.I really wish they would have gotten rid of the unnecessary sub plot; the relationship between Gloria and Andy. To me it brings brings nothing to the movie, but I suppose at the time there was the mentality that "you must have at least one tale of romance in a film". I suppose if that's your thing (like the Jack and Rose romance on Titanic) then you'll like it I suppose. They do have chemistry. It's just not what I think the film should have a large focus on. The mine is closing and this probably had a huge effect on the lives of people in that community. The romance sub-plot is small potatoes.It's a good film, though in my opinion The Full Monty did it better. It blended comedy, romance, drama, commentary on masculinity and politics way better. Brassed Off didn't keep it simple, doesn't flow as well, feels like a load of ideas slopped into one and the romance sub-plot is too distracting and ruins the film. I still recommend you watch this though (maybe after The Full Monty). The cast are outstanding, the film has characters that you really want to root for, the music is great, the film at times is incredibly touching and sad and if you live in a ex-mining area like i do the message at the end really hits home.
SnoopyStyle
It's the 90s Yorkshire, England. Gloria Mullins (Tara Fitzgerald) is assigned to her hometown of Grimley to evaluate the coal mine. The Thatcher government is closing coal mines all throughout the country and replacing them with nuclear power. The Grimley Colliery Brass band is a beloved tradition and almost as old as the mine. Gloria plays the flugelhorn and joins the band. She reconnects with childhood love Andy Barrow (Ewan McGregor). Sick band leader Danny Ormondroyd (Pete Postlethwaite) tries to rally the dispirited men.This is not necessarily a feel-good movie. It has the light quirky moments in a movie dealing with some darker working class matters. This is a place broken by the inevitable closure. This is not an uplifting story about the little guys overcoming great odds to save the mine. There is no solidarity. It is a great slice of a crumbling pie. Tara and Ewan are a good looking pair. It's Pete Postlethwaite that truly steals the audience's heart.
gcd70
Strong, emotional drama about the little guy struggling against the rising tide, which includes enforced redundancy. Writer/director Mark Herman's film is really only an outcry against the 140 plus pit closures in England that have seen half a million jobs lost.Though strong and entertaining throughout, this is no classic drama. The comedy, patchy at best, does reaffirm that the poms have the funniest sense of humour in the world.Pete Postlethwaite is in top form, and he and his on screen son Phil (Stephen Tomkinson) give two dramatic turns that are the movie's biggest positive. Ewan McGregor is good too, though he doesn't get a chance to display his raw talent. Tara Fitzgerald, as the only female player in the colliery band, is also enjoyable. Support from Jim Carter, Ken Colley, Philip Jackson and Stephen Moore back these thesps up well. Trevor Jones backs up his orchestration of some snazzy brass numbers with his own melodic score. Recommended for music lovers.Monday, February 16, 1998 - Hoyts Croydon
pc95
Brassed Off has an enjoyable cast with a heartfelt story of a local town's mine folds, and the way a bunch of the men cope - through a brass band. As a detraction, the film's pacing crawls especially in the first third of the movie. The band represents a good departure though and vehicle for economic commentary without becoming too bogged down in details. Always spectacular, Pete Postleswaite really helps bring emotion and determination in his performance as usual. He single-handedly leads the movie to a good show. Some of his band-mates also prove interesting including his son, whose story takes a lot of the screen-time in order to depict the real economic hardships that's befallen the locality. Ewan McGregor is here as more a supporting character and does a decent bit, but has been better. His role is more subdued. I'm sure this is compared to the Full-Monty, and while not as much fun or delivered as well, Brassed Off has the same spirit. Solidly recommended unless you cant stand slow pacing.
