Excessively likable tru-ish tale of a loose Gay Rights group of activists in mid-80s London who branch away from expected fund-raising worthies to lend moral and cash support to striking South Wales coal miners. Solidarity Forever meets fish-out-of-water. But in spite of similarities between the two causes (gay rights/union suppression) will their good deeds even be accepted by this presumably conservative community, or rejected as somehow tainted, especially in the early days of the AIDS crisis? Stage director Matthew Warchus, on one of his occasional film forays, revels in the seemingly unlimited supply of gifted British character actors* and runs a very smooth show with all lines of action clear & neatly in place. Too neatly in place? Even reversals of fortune predictable. (Example: the team’s youngest member rejected by his family when they see him in the tabloids.* Why not have him sneak in only to discover the parents stealthily clipping articles for a scrapbook, secretly proud he’s come out at last.) Still, there are real pleasures and moving moments even in such an anodyne telling. Undoubtedly, the film would have been a very different animal had it been made closer to events: bite added to locals as they came on board; town biddies whopping it up discovering porn mags, leather bars & lesbian vegan cookery; an old townie ‘coming out’ decades late. But within chosen limits, it’s a charmer.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: *Too many to list, but Andrew Scott (with Philip Seymour Hoffman levels of empathy) and partner Dominic West (bravely demonstrating rusty Disco moves) are standouts.
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: *The whole operation nearly derailed by nasty, misrepresentations in one of the big circulation British tabloids. Presumably a Murdoch paper, but not specified on screen. Sure enough, the film’s U.K. theatrical release thru then Murdoch-owned 20th/Fox.
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