Brassed Off (Mark Herman, UK, 1996) August 13, 2006
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Comedy, 1990s, Drama, Film reviews , trackbackDir. Mark Herman; screenplay by Mark Herman; starring Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitzgerald, Ewan McGregor, Stephen Tomkinson
There’s very little to criticise about Mark Herman’s 1996 film, which deals with the coal mining closures and their effect on the communities that depend on them. The problems caused by the reality of losing their jobs is brilliantly underpinned by the brass band’s music – serving as a sort of escapist delight – but it never overshadows the societal and familial backdrop that binds them.
The film is both funny and sincere, never relying on sentimentalism to draw its audience in. The scene where the band plays below Pete Postlethwaite’s hospital window is powerful and moving, displaying hope in the midst of lost glory quite beautifully in Stephen Tomkinson’s teary-eyed trombone player.
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