Just how good can a film about a brass band be? Although there's only so much you can do with shots of people playing the trumpet (sorry, euphonium), Mark Herman's tale of a Yorkshire colliery brass band is surprisingly original, funny and moving
Pete Postlethwaite is brilliant as conductor Danny struggling to keep his band together through pit closure, disillusionment and his own collapse from pneumoconiosis - the price paid for nearly half a decade down the mines - and reach the national brass band championships in London. Ewan McGregor plays band member Andy who is besotted by his childhood sweetheart Gloria (Tara Fitzgerald) whose re-appearance and talent (in more ways than one) galvanises the band. While Fitzgerald's character is underdeveloped for the crucial part she plays in the plot, she is a fine foil to McGregor's cynical anti-hero. But the most affecting performance comes from Stephen Tompkinson (Drop the Dead Donkey) in his film debut as Danny's unlucky son, Phil.
Much of the humour and pathos found in Brassed Off is delivered through visual puns: as two women natter across the back fence, behind one of them is a strategically placed pair of enormous support bras; at an all-time low, Phil dons his "Mr Chuckles" clown outfit in hope of making a few extra bob at a children's party. It's subtle, but works all the better for it.
Perhaps director Herman best sums his film up: "One of the difficult things about Brassed Off is the category to place it in. It's not a comedy, rtragedy, or a musical. A bit of all three, perhaps - and then some more." Indeed, much more.
Reviewed by Monika Maurer
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