A truly British film if there ever was one, Pride is a rousing and relevant crowd-pleaser that knows how to entertain its audience, even if it does skimp on the drama. In the summer of 1984, at the height of the miners strike, a determined group of gay activists decide to raise money for the families of those effected – a proposal that comes with its own set of challenging setbacks. The inspirational true story is one that feels readymade for cinema – and with it director Matthew Warchus and screenwriter Stephen Beresford have crafted a film that soars. Emotional, inciting, but with a peppering of humour, there’s a decent balance that ensures it never becomes too mawkish. Its mix of well-known and up-and-coming actors deliver strong performances (George MacKay, Imelda Staunton, Andrew Scott, Dominic West, to name a few), and Warchus divvies out the screen time to service all. If there’s an issue, it’s the fact that the drama at the heart of the narrative is often skimmed over all too easy in favour of happy endings. Yet that’s a minor quibble for a film that not only warms you up inside, but also makes your sides split in the process.
Empty Screens 