Brassed off

The Grimethorpe Colliery Band doesn’t have much to play for these days with the shadow of the mine’s imminent closure looming over them. Danny (Pete Postlethwaite) doesn’t share this view, as band master he sees the band as the life blood of the community. His son has the opposite view, blaming the conservative Thatcher government for the community’s misfortune. The band receives a lift in spirits with the arrival of Gloria (Tara Fitzgerald), a fluglehorn player eager to join the band but unbeknown to them is also part of the “management” team making decisions about the mine. For Andy (Ewan McGregor), Gloria’s appearance sparks memories of their brief teenage romance. When the mine closes and Danny is placed into hospital, plans for competing in the National Championship are placed on hold. After a series of conflicts however the band discovers a way of venting their anger and telling their story as well as that of miners elsewhere. An enjoyable comedy with a serious message about economic policy and the mining community. Also starring Jim Carter, Phillip Jackson, Stephen Moore, Ken Colley and Peter Gunn.