British humor falls into that love/hate category and this is certainly no exception. Slurping through the muddled accents and overt traditions, you may tend to wonder if this country lifestyle is really something you'd enjoy...sort of our own down home, country girl syndrome transplanted to England.
Taken in a coal mining town in Yorkshire ( about to have the mine shut down ), this film follows the one thing many of the men cling to, their steadfast, traditional band; and nobody clings to this more than leader Danny ( Pete Postlewaite...you'll know his face when you see it ). But the other members are having both family and money troubles yet lack the courage to tell Danny that they're ready to leave the band, a band that Danny feels has the chance to make the finals at Albert Hall in London. Then in walks grown-up gal, Gloria, who asks to join the band and sets her lost young lover's heart aflutter ( Ewan McGregor ). Danny welcomes her, even as his coal-filled lungs begin to haunt him; and off goes the band to competition after competition.
It sounds rather bland, but is actually quite enjoyable if you enjoy this sort of Mike Leigh look at England. The pub conversations, the heated family squabbles, the long lost lovers, the mining debate...it's all captured with a flair that will either leave you sighing or walking away saying, "Good grief, glad I'm not there!" And the brass band music is quite a pleasant change, not the Music Man variety but quite a good intro to attending a small town festival ( but no polka music here ). The box concentrates on the young stars but they play only a part of this film...taken as a whole, the film comes together is a bawly, syrupy way. Quite nice when sitting in a cottage with a cup of tea!
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