Tonight, I went on a blind date with a movie. In other words I took a risk by not watching the trailer or reading anything about it beforehand. I did know about the stunning cast, so I figured I’d probably enjoy it, no matter what it’s about.
And boy, did I. Pride is an absolutely gorgeous story about the unlikely alliance of the LGBT community and a small village of Welsh miners. It’s based on a true story that took place in the UK in 1984-85 when the coal miners went on strike. It’s a bomb of good feels and happy emotions. I went to see it at ShowFilmFirst‘s pre-screening in Cineworld Cardiff and had a total gigglefest with a full-packed screening room of people. There were no cast members or directors present, but we all still applauded at the end of it.
The cast, oh heavens! What a charismatic, brilliant bunch playing a rainbow of lovable characters. The wrap party must’ve been a joy. Just look at this list of talent!
Also, as someone who’s just moved to Wales a little over a year ago from another country I have to say: this movie made me fall in love with the country and its people all over again. Obviously, I can’t tell how accurate the portrayal of a tiny Welsh village this all was, but what the heck. I’ll just take it and run.
The only tiny, perhaps irrelevant complaint I have about Pride is the title: isn’t it a bit too generic for a story like this? (If nothing else, it makes googling the images a pain!)
Director: Matthew Warchus
Cast: Bill Nighy, Andrew Scott, George MacKay, Paddy Considine, Faye Marsay, Imelda Staunton, Ben Schnetzer, Dominic West
-Tiia