Les Virtuoses

A superb film. A film which did not seek to glamourise the effect of long term unemployment and the break up of communities. And a film which WAS based very closely on a true story. The band members you see actually playing the music? That's the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, winners of the national Battle of the Bands competition in the year that the colliery closed down. And they did turn professional too!

Films like Brassed Off, which seek to present a view of a sensitive issue, are often derided for not offering a solution which can be written on the back of a cereal box. Personally, I take that as a recommendation!

The point of the film is this: put people in situations that most of us will happily never face, and they react in extreme fashions. There was little or no 'political' argument, other than the fact that the Conservative Government of the time did destroy an entire industry. That same government them spent millions of pounds a year buying coal from Europe and South America. Angry? I would be.

I saw characters portrayed in their entirety, which meant 'scabs' and 'sellouts' rubbed shoulders with the committed and poor. I saw unflattering portraits of basically decent people, prepared to risk friendships and relationships to keep alive an industry which was killing them but without which they could not live. It was a desperate time, and the fact that families have been split since the 1984 strike shows just how deep feelings can run on this issue.

And I saw no skipping over the holes in the logic either. No mention of the 4-1 vote in favour of closing the mine? Half of the chuffing film was about that! What about the fate of Gloria's report? What about Phil, a striker from 1984, voting for closure? Did no-one notice that he was one of the major characters?

I do think that there were some problems with the structure of the film (although it was dramatically more satisfying than the Full Monty). Gloria was unconvincing; the wives were underused, and the speech at the end, yes, I found it embarrassing too!

But please, before you attack the veracity of such a rounded and honest film as Brassed Off, take the time and trouble to watch it properly first!

This film has everything: Humour. Poignancy. A message. Human characters. Warmth. A great cast and good story. Interesting locales. Creative techniques. (Watch for the clown scenes and especially the one in the playground.) "Brassed Off" was (and is) a powerful editorial indictment of the Thatcher government of the time. Yet it does not preach other than in the opening and closing credits which are pithy and innovative. Anytime you see something with the Channel Four label on it, you know it will be interesting, provocative and a little different. They outdid themselves on this.

I have seen Brassed Off many times, I do in fact own it, and every time I watch it it never fails to move me. There are certain moments that stick out to me as either breath taking or harrowing.

1) That famous 'Concierto d'Aranguez' scene. The first time I saw this scene it took my breath away, literally. When used well music can move you in a way words can't. The juxtaposing of this piece of music against the union's meeting is one of them. I haven't been this moved by a piece of music with actions since then apart from the Roxan sequence in Moulin Rouge.

2) The scene where Phil loses it when playing Mr Chuckles I actually can't sit through. I have to fast forward because the emotion the Stephen Tompkinson manages to portray is so strong it's painful to watch.

Through all of this though I think my favorite scene, the aforementioned 1) excluded, is when they compete in all 14 tournaments and get completely rat arsed. The sight of these brilliant musicians trying to continue playing when they can't see straight, stop laughing, or keep their instruments in one piece is one of the most honest, amusing and humble moments in a film in recent years. there is no flashy camera work, no deeper meaning, just something that says exactly who these people are. Ordinary human beings, not super-heros, and just trying to live life whilst having fun in difficult circumstances. And you really can't play wind instruments drunk, I've tried.

The film is not perfect. It is a bit preachy, especially the end. And McGregor's accent, although he plays the part beautifully, does slip at time, especially in his longer speeches. But the humanity of the film and it's charm out way all of it's faults.

The Colliery Brass Band has survived two world wars, depressions and is still playing. However the threaten closure of the pit itself puts the band under threat – although many of the band fear the wider implications. Danny Ormondroyd remains focused on his music despite sickness and his son's spiral of debt. While a relationship between of the band turns sour when she is found to be working with the pit's management. The band's music becomes an allegory for the plight of the workers.

Released a year before The Full Monty made working class British comedy a Hollywood hit, this has a lot more realism and a lot more heart. The story deals mainly with the plight of the miners – betrayed and deserted by the Tory Government – and the bands corresponding struggle to survive and overcome. The metaphors are good but not heavy – basically the story can work if you don't see the parallels. The story works best due to the level of emotion the story carries. This has a lot of heart and builds to a wonderful standoff that brings a message without being preachy.

The cast are excellent. Postlethwaite is top class as Danny and delivers a metaphor for the dying mine itself – not interesting in politics, just trying to keep producing the ethics he always has but all the time knowing his time is coming. Equally as good is Tompkinson – a complex role, full of emotion and he deasl very, very well with it – to me his was the performance of the film. Fitzgerald is a little weak but a pre-Jedi McGregor is solid in support. The rest of the band is fleshed out by solid UK faces and do well.

Overall this is a great little film. It deals with heavy politics but mixes human drama effortlessly. It delivers message without preaching or shouting and it is driven by a fantastic cast.

You don't have to be a fan of brass bands to enjoy "Brassed Off", but it couldn't hurt. The music is a central focus of the film, but not as a compromise to the story of a town in turmoil. Coal mines being shut down in the name of progress puts many men out of work which naturally also jeopardizes the existence of the colliery band. The music combined with brilliant storytelling (and editing) is merely a platform for some superb acting, particularly from Pete Postlethwaite.

Having lived all my life in a large metropolitan city, I cannot relate first hand to the plight of a small town community. Despite that, I found the story intriguing even though it may seem the outcome is somewhat predictable.

Having just purchased the DVD, I found the brief write-up on the box to be way off the mark. It touts this film as some kind of romantic and hilarious comedy, never once even grazing past the real subject matter of the film. This is another perfect example of the continued miscalculated promotion of a truly well crafted film that "Muriel's Wedding" also fell victim to. I'm not sure what the promoters were thinking, but if you set someone up for a hilarious romantic comedy and what they receive is a thoughtful serious and sometimes depressing film, are they going to be happy just the same? There are graciously some light moments and humourous turns in this otherwise sombre subject matter, but this film doesn't have a happy ending. But it sure does have a moving one. Postlethwaite's performance hits you in an unexpected way and you'd have to have a heart of stone to not be moved by it.

Any success that the film enjoys now that's it's strictly on video, is likely to come from very strong word of mouth. I had been told how good it was and enjoyed it immensely. Now that I've seen it twice, and thus been twice moved, I wait for a reasonable time to pass so that I may watch and enjoy it again as I am bound to do.