Brassed Off
1996
***½
Director: Mark Herman
Cast: Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitzgerald, Ewan McGregor, Stephen Tompkinson, Jim Carter, Sue Johnston, Philip Jackson, Peter Martin, Mary Healey, Melanie Hill
10 years after the traumatic strikes, the miners of Grimley Colliery are facing uncertain times. The fate of the local brass band seems to be tied to that the pit, which is under threat of closure. Mark Herman's angry, funny, and compelling drama comedy delivers a scathing attack on Margaret Thatcher's policies. Like The Full Monty, which came out the same year, it tells a believable and socially conscious story with humour and tenderness. In the climactic moments, the film gets a bit trite and melodramatic. The brass soundtrack is nice.
