It isn't just a joke: Pride

kport
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Re: It isn't just a joke: Pride

Post by kport »

In today's Washington Post:
But I think “Pride” is also an effective illustration of some of the strengths of the British social issue movie formula, and at its best moments, a nice illustration of the pleasures of a trope executed with competence and enthusiasm.

Movies such as “Brassed Off,” which is about a mining community brass band, “Billy Elliot,” the story of a miner’s son drawn to ballet and out of his parents’ comfort zone, and “The Full Monty,” which follows laid-off steelworkers who turn to stripping to try to make some money and restore their lost sense of community, have a number of things in common other than their obsession with the decline of British industry. They are set in the countryside or smaller cities rather than huge metropolises and deal with ordinary people rather than great men. They often incorporate romances along with politics. And they are often very funny.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act- ... al-movies/
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CJ-Rochester
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Re: It isn't just a joke: Pride

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I saw "Pride" yesterday at Rochester's ImageOut Film Festival. This is an excellent movie! The film was very well received, with many festival goers saying it was their favorite of the festival.

Right from the start I found the world that was being depicted to be something very familiar to me as a BETM fan. We hear the words "Solidarity Forever" being sung to the tune of "Battle Hymn of the Republic". We see red plastic buckets and hear "dig deep for the miners". When the camera first brings us to the Welsh mining village we see two boys on bicycles. One of them was slight of build and I thought he could be Michael. We see the empty miner's welfare hall and I imagined a class of girls learning to dance. When the strike ends, the miners talk of marching back to their pit with their heads held high. The sets, costumes, and hair styles are all perfectly matched with what we see on stage in BETM.

Through the entire movie I felt like I have been to this village before, every time I visited the Imperial Theater, various tour cities, or more recently the VPT and Ogunquit Playhouse. The ensemble cast puts on strong performances all around. As in BETM, there is a healthy balance of humor with emotional drama. There were many times when the whole audience burst into applause. Yes, it is a crowd-pleaser, but never feels manipulative. Director Matthew Warchus and writer Stephen Beresford are obviously cut from the same cloth as Stephen Daldry and Lee Hall.

Before the film began the president of our local labor council spoke. He had just seen a screening of "Pride" last week at a labor convention in Washington, DC, where it was very well received. It appears it will not be showing in commercial multi-plexes in the US, and is relegated to the independent art houses and film festivals. Watch closely for festivals in your area. I really think this should be something that any BETM fan sees, regardless of one's own orientation.
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dongringo
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Re: It isn't just a joke: Pride

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I'm going to see this movie today. It's been playing for weeks at Cinema 21. It's a gloomy day, I'm still coming down from the flu and can't ride my bike, so it's about time.
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Re: It isn't just a joke: Pride

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Well, I didn't like it. Too many cliches and general corniness. It should have been more of a drama given the content, but that's just me.
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CJ-Rochester
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Re: It isn't just a joke: Pride

Post by CJ-Rochester »

If you missed it in your local cinema, PRIDE will come out on Blu-ray and DVD on December 23.

http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Blu-ray-Bil ... -social-20
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CJ-Rochester
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Re: It isn't just a joke: Pride

Post by CJ-Rochester »

PRIDE has been nominated for a Golden Globe award - BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL. Congrats to all involved!

http://www.goldenglobes.com/2015_72nd_G ... s_Nominees
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jtsw1
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Re: It isn't just a joke: Pride

Post by jtsw1 »

Just watched it. It moved me almost as much as Billy Elliot did. A must-see for everyone! Didn't know that it was based on a true story and was just blown away at the end. If they make a musical of it (and that just has to happen as soon as possible!) a trip to London will be even more worthwile than it is now. It's so much alike to BETM,they could sell joint-tickets. ;)
- A. -

- What do I do??
- Follow the others... marching forward to socialism!
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Re: It isn't just a joke: Pride

Post by NateMerch »

Actually, they have announced a musical is in the works! I can't wait!
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