In the end, though, the undeniable power and emotional richness of this film swing the balance toward the good.
60
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Brassed Off gets bogged down in sentimentality; and that political agenda is spread on thick.
50
SalonStephanie Zacharek
SalonStephanie Zacharek
Herman isn't sure if he's doing a big-statement picture or a tiny treasure of a comedy, and his confusion throws Brassed Off off balance.
50
San Francisco ExaminerWalter Addiego
San Francisco ExaminerWalter Addiego
Writer-director Mark Herman seems genuinely moved by the plight of the mining communities, but his attempt to translate those feelings into a story shows the effects of hard labor.
An odd duck of a movie, it's really a British Labor Party television commercial bitterly shoehorned into the cheesy format of an American triumph fantasy, with a horn section.
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
As well-meaning elegies go, especially ones to working stiffs prematurely ripped from their subterranean roots, Brassed Off is the pits: It's a miner opus in a minor key.