When we elect people to power, they usually promise some sort of change that their constituents like, but given the nature of democracy, some places might like certain changes while others bear the brunt of the shaft. Brassed Out is specifically based on the privitization of British Coal in the 90s, so the context can be lost for younger viewers outside the nation. But it’s this specificity that grounds the film, as writer-director Mark Herman clearly lays down the real life stakes these coal miners had to face– the loss of livelihood, purpose, and community. Of course, this makes the film full of anger, making its slang title quite fitting. Sometimes, this pushes certain moments to clunky exposition. However, Brassed Out directs that stirring emotion for the common good, reminding us about the real people that faced these sweeping changes.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Actor: Adam Fogerty, Adrian Hood, Bernard Wrigley, Ewan McGregor, Jim Carter, Katherine Dow Blyton, Ken Kitson, Kenneth Colley, Lill Roughley, Mary Healey, Melanie Hill, Olga Grahame, Pete Postlethwaite, Peter Gunn, Peter Martin, Philip Jackson, Ronnie Stevens, Sally Ann Matthews, Stephen Moore, Stephen Tompkinson, Sue Johnston, Tara Fitzgerald, Tubby Andrews
Director: Mark Herman
Rating: R
