Very best movie i ever watch

Sorry, this movie sucks

Absolutely Fantastic

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

"Brassed Off" is a wonderful human-interest movie set mostly in the North of England. It has bits of comedy of life, family drama, politics, and light romance all wrapped together with some superb music. The story is about a small town in South Yorkshire and its people, the town's coal mine (colliery), and the colliery's brass band. This is a delightful film for its setting, the acting and the goodly amount of brass band music we get to enjoy. The music is equal to any performance in a major concert hall. The film credits at the end state, "The events and characters depicted in this photoplay are fictitious." But the story does follow the plight of rural communities in England that faced the closing of coalmines in the late 20th century. The town in the movie is named Grimley, and the actual shooting location is Grimethorpe. That village of 1,800 is located about 40 miles (65 km) east of Manchester. The town of Grimethorpe's struggle over the coalmine closing was similar. And, the 24-member Grimethorpe Colliery Band played the music for the film's soundtrack. Other shooting locations included Birmingham and London. Scenes were shot at the Hatfield Colliery, the Delph Band Contest the Acorn Centre, and at pubs – the Drum and Swallow and Nite Owl. The final concert scene at London's Royal Albert Hall was actually filmed at Birmingham Tower Hall. While the overall human-interest of the plot carries the film wonderfully, politics of the time and place figure in the story. People who lose their jobs due to the decisions of big corporations and/or government aren't likely to find any humor in their situation. The late 20th century was a time when England stopped much of its domestic coal mining – underground and open pits. The credits at the end of the film say that 140 pits had closed since 1984, with the resulting loss of 250,000 jobs. One would have to be a dunce not to notice the obviously pointed finger at the English government, for the plight of the mine workers. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher certainly wasn't a fictitious character. That was okay, and anyone who knows anything about the Weinstein Brothers – the founders and then-owners of Miramax, would know that they are politically far to the left and rather disdainful of anything to the right. And, that' okay. So, toward the end of the film I chuckled to think that Miramax may have produced this film partly as a poke at the former PM Thatcher and the conservative party. In the movie, headlines and posters criticize the Tories. Yet, I wondered if the Weinstein's hadn't missed some things. One would be Danny's speech to the audience when he refused the national trophy the band had won. He notes that in that way, they will get attention for the town's plight. And, indeed, the press corps cameras flash away. Danny says, "The point is, if this lot were seals or whales, you'd all be up in bloody arms. But they're not are they, now? No, they're not. They're just ordinary common garden, honest, decent human beings. And not one of them with an ounce of bloody hope left. Aye. They can knock out a bloody good tune, but what the f--- does that matter? Now I'm going to take my boys out onto the town. Thank you."Another political sleeper that just sort of smolders in the film is the black lung disease that was so prevalent among coal miners. Danny suffered from it himself, and in one scene we see him cough up blood. I don't know what the history is of England tackling this issue, but it came to the fore in the U.S. in the late 1960s. Many safety measures were put in place after that. But, we don't see the miners in this film wearing masks when they are at work in the mine, and we see their faces covered with soot. Surely, the health and welfare of the workers should be a major concern for those who profess to care so much about the workers. A third political issue not even mentioned in the film is clean air. The U.S. began tackling air pollution with the Clean Air Act of 1970. I don't know to what extent Great Britain has done so, but I think there still is much pressure from the continent for England to tackle its air pollution. And guess what? One of the big polluters is coal- fired power plants. So, while the film gives a little dig at the conservative government of Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, it completely ignores the health problems of the miners and England's air pollution problem. It does point out the social contradiction and hypocrisy though. If they were seals or whales, Danny says, people would be up in arms. But, they're just people, so society doesn't really care. Touché, Harvey and Bob Weinstein. The politics are real for the time and a good part of the film. But this movie has many other endearing qualities about it. For instance, the players, in their individual characters. Who couldn't like Danny, played superbly by Pete Postlethwaite? Tara Fitzgerald and Ewan McGregor are very good as Gloria and Andy. And some of the minor characters really shine In their roles. Philip Jackson (Inspector Japp of the Agatha Christie films about Hercule Poirot) is excellent as Jim. Kenneth Colley as Greasley, Jim Carter as Harry, Peter Gunn as Simmo, Sue Johnston as Vera and Mary Healey as Ida all did wonderful jobs in their roles. A beautiful scene was the band outside Danny's hospital window playing "Danny Boy." The music is the final big plus that makes this a first rate, enjoyable and memorable film.

When you make the decision to watch a film that isn't a mass media marketed product like Hollywood's trite catalog, you risk seeing a stinka', or finding a gem. Although this film runs through the very many clichés of prose one liners, soap-situations, & predictable outcomes, it makes up for this with conviction, solid acting, political castigation, moral bearing & the ever moving ramifications of music. As I grow old, I have noticed how cruel life is & how corrupt our captors have become. This film's greatest irony is that they intended 'music to appear commonplace; a bit of entertainment whilst more important things are happening'. You sense this is the way it was written. However, as this film ages, it's become apparent that Governments destroy people's hopes & dreams all the time. This has now become commonplace, & the music represents the constant accumulating working class heroes that have fallen to vain man's greed. It gives the film new meaning. It's a shame that at the end of the film, they still insist this is about "Coal Mines Closing". It's maybe a bit short sighted of British film makers to abstain from giving it a broader meaning. The script isn't without it's typical British frivolity of course, & most of the time it's non-intrusive thank goodness! The course language may be a bit loud for some as is the stereotypes, but given the time & setting it's not unrealistic. I think it's this that gives the film it's lower score & yet it's vital to lighten up an otherwise dejecting story. Either way, you begin to feel for these characters, but from a purely artistic point of view, this can be a very touching watch! All the musicians I know admit that "life got in the way of music". This sounds preposterous to your average Joe, but people come & go; music remains & can out live all of us. So will this film no doubt!

For any American worker who may be feeling a bit under-appreciated – relax! No one does working-class anger and analysis like our British cousins from across the sea. Brassed Off takes place in Grimley, a small mining village in Worchestershire, England, threatened by the possibility of their mine closing. Tara Fitzgerald plays Gloria Mullen, a surveyor for the Grimley Mining Company, whose job is to create a study that she thinks will keep Grimley open and save jobs. "My figures show Grimley has a future. It's a profitable pit," she tells Andy, her friend, fellow band member, and old flame. Ewan MacGregor, as Andy Barrow, is one hard realist who schools her in the ways of management's shady plans over coffee one night."You're report means as much to them as we do. . . bugger all. . . And those good eggs at the head office think they've done all they can. Oh dear. . . they've been very fair, very reasonable. Done their best, done their sums and - oh dear - they just don't add up! They'll have to close another pit – a shame – and they probably made their decision why you were still in college." Gloria can't understand why Andy will vote to keep the mine open then, if the majority of miners will be voting for "redundancy" - to close the mine and take a buy-out. "No hope – just principles", he replies. Amid the backdrop of this drama, Gloria and Andy's budding relationship suffers a few bumps and bruises along the way. A few of the more vocal Grimley Colliery Brass Band members accuse Andy of being a scab and Gloria a management sellout until almost the bitter end. The film intersperses strike scenes and family crisis's with rousing band numbers, as they practice for a musical competition. The late – and great – Peter Postlethwaite, portrays Danny, the orchestra's leader – in good times and bad. The musical numbers represent the spirit of the town as the villagers grapple with their pressure and problems. He encourages the band members to keep going, no matter what, even if it means the further deterioration of his own poor health. Danny believes that the band can win fist prize, which symbolizes their collective spirit - undaunted and unbowed.During her viability study report to management, Gloria discovers that Andy's predictions are all-too accurate, right down to the timing of their decision to close Grimley. Gloria discovers that she too has principles and resigns her cushy position, which ultimately enables the band to travel to the band finals at Albert Hall. The band plays on, all the way to Albert Hall, even though many of the members are cynical and demoralized, knowing that their lives will be forever changed as a result of management's callous actions. And although Grimley closes, Danny and Gloria are able to rally the Grimley Brass Banders to play their hearts out in London at the National Band Competition, winning first place. Danny: ". . .over the last ten years, this bloody government has systematically destroyed an entire industry. OUR industry. And not just our industry - our communities, our homes, our lives. All in the name of "progress". And for a few lousy bob. I'll tell you something else you might not know, as well. A fortnight ago, this band's pit were closed - another thousand men lost their jobs. And that's not all they lost. Most of them lost the will to win a while ago. A few of them even lost the will to fight. But when it comes to losing the will to live, to breathe, the point is - if this lot were seals or whales, you'd all be up in bloody arms. But their not, are they, no, no they're not. They're just ordinary common-or-garden honest, decent human beings. And not one of them with an ounce of bloody hope left. Oh aye, they can knock out a bloody good tune. But what the f*#k does that matter? And now I'm going to take my boys out onto the town. Thank you." See what I mean?

Brassed off is an amazing film and all the way through, a smile was kept on my face. Although I am only fourteen, I love films which are based on reality, just like the pit closures around England.I play in a brass band my self called Frickley South Elmsall band, and trust me, they have all the facts right; I have been to five contests in all and nearly every band member has had a drink or two before the contest it's self.I first watched this film when i was eleven and loved it. I was inspired by this movie, to actually try and make it to a colliery band, (obviously not Grimethorpe as they don't accept girls) and I have actually met the flugal player which played concerto De aran jeux, Alan Morrison.Overall, I loved this movie and have seen it more than twenty times; simply fantastic!