Brassed Off!
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Movie Reviews of Brassed Off!
Movie Review: A Lot to Like
Summary: 5 Stars
I've seen this movie twice now on satellite, and haven't tired of it. There's a lot to like. After a heavy dose of Transporter 1 through 25, Fast and Furious, various Star Treks, Star Wars, and gritty spy killing spy flicks, this is a wonderful little dose of reality - gee, I actually can sit through a thoughtful film without car chases, heroes without superpowers, and no one dangling from a helicopter getting shot at by a chain gun. Sounds un-American. That being said, this is a nicely acted, sensibly filmed story with a happy ending sandwiched in an unhappy circumstance. The actors even look like real people, even the lovely Tara Fitzgerald (every town has at least one beauty, right?) It gives the viewer a sense that amidst chaos, something lovely can still be born. The music is great. It makes me wonder why American brass bands can't do what brass bands do best - give you some real toe tapping tunes. The local university has a pretty good band, but what do we hear at half-time? We Will, We Will Rock You. C'mon! Surprise us! Turn our heads! The Grimethorpe Colliery Band is one of the best. They first came to my notice in a Disney film about pit ponys. It was another bittersweet tale about coal mining in the north of Britain when pony's pulled the carts and never saw the light of day, doing their jobs and trudging the tracks back to their subterranean mangers for a bit of sweet hay from a world they'd never see or taste again. Grimethorpe did the track for that one too, and it made me stay to the end of the credits to see who played that great music. A big thumbs up to the Brits for still creating films that make us think and feel without gut-churning special effects, and reminding us that you don't need an electric guitar to make great music, and the world is populated with people like you and I, people who pack trombones and trumpets, not machineguns and grenades.Movie Review: Wonderful film
Summary: 5 Stars
The packaging for Brassed Off! gives the impression that it's a romantic comedy, but though it does have both romance and comedy, it's really more about a group of coal miners who play in a local brass band. It is rather in the same spirit as The Full Monty and Calendar Girls.
In the story, the band members are trying to prepare for a performance at a major band competition, at the same time as they are facing the impending closure of the coal mine, the loss of their jobs, the disintegration of their families and the destruction of their community. In other words, a pretty serious film with a lot of sadness to it, though ending on a fairly upbeat note -- and very well done.
Other than the two young romantic leads (Ewan MacGregor & Tara Fitzgerald), Pete Postlethwaite was the only other actor I had ever seen or heard of before -- and I had previously felt a very strong aversion to him, after seeing him in the role of a horribly sadistic villain in one of the Sharpe films. So up till now I had avoided movies in which he appeared, but I will avoid him no more, because he was terrific -- totally believable, totally sympathetic -- and I loved the speech he gave at the end.
The rest of the cast were also wonderful -- they all just looked and seemed like real, ordinary people.
I also must say that I never cared much for the William Tell Overture (or for brass bands, for that matter) but this band's rendition of it was amazing -- it practically had me jumping up and down with excitement. According to the credits, the music was played by an actual colliery band, which made the performance even more amazing!
Highly recommended.
Movie Review: Brassed Off Today
Summary: 5 Stars
As a British viewer of this website, I have been moved by the comments made for this film. I now live in West Yorkshire in the UK where the film was based, and collieries are still being closed. At the time we blamed Maggy Thatcher... now we blame Tony Blair!
The film was made by Channel Four Televison in association with Miramax Films. Channel Four are one of the leading TV channels in the UK that do not get money from the government. They rely on income from advertising and sales of their programmes (unlike the BBC!).
Brassed Off is just as relevent today to the UK and many other parts of the world I am sure. Whole communities ruined as industries change. This will be the case in many developing countries and many developed countries.
However, although Tara Fitzgerald, Ewan McGregor and Pete Postlethwaite gave outstanding performances (ignored by the Oscars!) I personally think the real stars of the film are the Grimethorpe Colliery Band. Outstanding performance in a film!
In the last 10 years or so the UK has turned out some outstanding cinema. And in the UK motion picture studios are back in full business ( even if we have numerous American producers/directors filming over here!)
This is a film you just cannot afford to miss. Seek it out. You will have a laugh.... but I bet most of you will also be holding back the tears.
Movie Review: Not just about a brassed band!
Summary: 5 Stars
'Brassed Off', as the name suggests, is a movie about a Brass Band from a coal mining pit in Yorkshire (in Northern England). If you do not consider yourself a big brass band fan then do not let this put you off because for one reason, unlike most movies based in England, this movie does not contain Hugh Grant, and, therefore, does not contain a soppy love story about a brass band worker who meets some nice lass and after some trials and tribulations ends up getting married. Instead this movie gets to the nitty gritty of life in England during Thatcher's administration, and the impact that her conservative government not only had on the brassed band, but also the whole communities that the coal mines supported in the U.K.Made up of some fine actors, the band not only performs some fantastic musical pieces, but also reflect the tightness of the communities that supported the mining pits across the UK during the 80s and 90s in Britain. Brassed Off is a tragic comedy about a band that plays through the turmoil of the political situation at the time that not only threatens the mere existence of the band, but also their livelihoods at the mine pits and the entire community that the mine supports. As a movie about a brassed band this is a great show, but as a movie about a true reflection of life in Britain this is a fantastic piece. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: Very deceptiv cover.........
Summary: 5 Stars
The cover makes it look like a light-weight romantic comedy... That it is NOT... When I first came across it in my Public Library, though I love Ewan McGregor I dismissed it as a disposable predictable romantic comedy(I read the back, but I didn't really pay much attention to it due to the cover... Stupid I know.). But when I saw it was going to be on IFC(Independent Film Channel) I HAD to catch it. And I did... TWICE.! :DI loved it. It is just as good the second viewing, and the music is mezmerizing. Its amazing. Emotional and beautifull. And the movie is NOT in the least bit a cheesey romantic comedy, its not a romantic comedy at all. Yes it one of the story-lines running through it is romance, but that's only one of them. But it has to do with how these people deal with the closing of a coal mine(which IS the town basiclly.) how it effects their everyday lives. And how they keep playing with their brass band(though they keep wanting to or do give up.). It is the one thing that seems to keep them somewhat sane...
The ones most effected that are in the Brass band, is the bands leader Danny and his son Phil. Both do absolutely fabolous. Bringing humour to this tragedy.
Really the less you know the better.
Mgnificent movie, RENT, BUY, or WHATEVER JUST SEE IT.!
God Bless ~Amy