Purely Belter

Rougher and less stylised than Herman's previous features Brassed Off and Little Voice, Purely Belter nevertheless contains elements fast becoming his trademark. Sharp comic dialogue sugaring a pill of biting social satire; life for the post-Thatcher working class; and those little things that make life bearable, but end up cutting you off from life. In Brassed Off it was Danny and his band, in Little Voice LV and her records, and for Gerry and Sewell it's football.

Like Gerry, I am a passionate football fan who has only just been to her first match - Glentoran v. Liverpool in Belfast. A pre-season friendly, not even at Anfield. But when Robbie Fowler - my favourite player - scored, my primal yell of 'YESS!!' started at my feet and rushed through all my veins. It was wonderful. Herman captures that feeling even when the lads enter the despised ground of their enemies Sunderland.

In Brassed Off and Little Voice, Danny and LV break free of their obsessions into lives which are far from perfect, but real. But Gerry and Sewell don't. Maybe because they're so much younger: Danny can remember when the mine was thriving, LV remembers when her Dad was alive. Gerry and Sewell have only ever known this life. Only ever been waiting for Saturday to come.

Perhaps that makes this the darkest of the three films. Perhaps not. Purely Belter will thoroughly entertain you, and if you let it, it will make you really think.

I remember seeing this in the cinema. Gritty British comedy with a definite 90s atmosphere, largely perhaps down to its soundtrack of Shed Seven, The Prodigy and... Gabrielle. Sewell and Garry are two teenage Geordies, with no money and a dream of getting themselves season tickets for their beloved Newcastle United. It's a bit cheap and not very cheerful, but it's still a good laugh, with plenty of daft one liners and it's aged remarkably well. I'd forgotten how bleak it was though. Gerry (Chris Beatie) is from a broken home with an abusive absent father. Skipping school and dreaming up bonkers ways to make money. Pulling scrap out of the Tyne, shoplifting in C&A, robbing houses. He reminds me of Robert Arkins playing Jimmy Rabbitte in The Commitments, but darker. Seriously, for a comedy there's a lot of harsh realities here. The pair keep getting knocked down, literally on some occasions, but there's more than enough heart to lift it up and it really lives up to its title.

I saw this movie on a sort-of premiere thinking "this must be a crap flick", I didn't even know what the title means. But it actually turned out to be enjoyable, funny and heartbreaking little movie. All the performances were excellent, the script is good and the atmosphere is perfect for a British low class setting. If you have a chance, see it.

"You take after your granddad. No words, just dribble and puke." A grandmother tells her teenage daughter's baby "Shearer". Mark Herman's follow-up to his excellent Brassed Off and Little Voice, is a gritty slice of contemporary Geordie life. This Four Film production introduces newcomers Chris Beattie (looks like a miniature Shearer) as Gerry and Greg McLane as unemployed Sewell. They're on a seemingly impossible mission to raise the £1000 for season tickets to see their beloved Newcastle United. While they think up increasingly outlandish money-making schemes - from selling household junk to shoplifting and the odd bit of housebreaking - real life begins to inferere. Gerry's violent and alcoholic father (Tim Healy of Auf Wiedersehn fame putting in a memorable 'orrible performance) forces his way back into his family's life. Like Herman's previous features, Purely Belter is laced with bittersweet comedy and some stunning dialogue ("No Alan [Shearer], not Celine f***ing Dion"), but it somehow lacks the emotional cohesion.

Typically northern movie about a couple of working-class kids having fun and getting into scrapes while trying to save up for season tickets to the Toon, this has quite a few moments of hilarity and some of moving tragedy, was eclipsed by Billy Elliot at the cinemas but deserves some attention. The two leads are pretty reasonable for child actors and the story is kinda fun too, fans of yer Full Monty, Brassed Off, Gregory's Girl type thing should probably give it a chance.