Pride
Directed by Matthew Warchus
- drama
- comedy
The story
In 1984, a group of LGBT activists decide to raise money to support the National Union of Mineworkers during their lengthy strike. There is only one problem: the Union seems embarrassed to receive their support.
What it’s like
Warm, bright and unhurried, with the grit of mid-1980s Britain softened by a lot of heart. Much of it plays in daylight: sunlit London streets and gay clubs lit in saturated pinks and blues, then the drab, rain-dulled colliery towns of south Wales, shot with a quiet, wintry greyness that makes every kitchen and village hall feel lived in. The camera stays close and conversational, with easy handheld moves in group scenes and steady two-shots in the quieter exchanges, and the score is buoyant pop and 80s dance tracks that sit comfortably alongside more tender piano moments. Its emotional register is funny, big-hearted and openly political, a feel-good comedy with a real stake in its story: awkward, initially wary people, gay and straight, slowly discovering common ground and loyalty. The sex is non-explicit and the lighter moments are frequent; there is some police heat and a few tense confrontations during the strike, plus brief scuffles and a serious illness subplot handled with restraint, but no gore and little sustained cruelty. It suits a rainy Sunday, a comfort rewatch, or anyone who wants a moving, funny film about solidarity across difference, for viewers who like British ensemble comedy with a bit of backbone.
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