The British comedy-drama "Brassed Off" was the Sundance Film Festival's opening night movie in January, the kickoff event for 10 days of celebrating American independent cinema.
To say it was an odd choice is to understate.
Aside from the fact that it's not American, it's also sentimental, predictable, overlong and enmeshed in the thick of English politics, much of which will be lost on the U.S. audience.
The characters are engaging enough much of the way, and there are some amusing moments early on as the film affects a whimsical posture, as if it means to remind the audience of the 1950s British comedies of Alec Guinness or Peter Sellers.
But when it gets serious, "Brassed Off" is maudlin, mediocre and maddening. And, unfortunately, it gets more and more serious as it progresses.
The story is based on the real-life closings of coal mines throughout northern England during the early '90s, when the government decided that less expensive imported fuels would become the standard.
Set in the fictional town of Grimley, the film has an ensemble feel as it approaches several sets of characters who are affected by the closures.
Chief among them is Danny (Pete Postlethwaite, also in "The Lost World: Jurassic Park"), a retired, widowed miner who is the leader of Grimley's brass band. And the band has become the town's most uplifting venture, and for some members, a reason for living.
Among the band's members are Andy (Ewan McGregor, of "Trainspotting"), a young coal miner torn between loyalty for his town and the desire to move on, and Phil (Stephen Tompkinson), Danny's son, whose wife and children are suffering from his inability to bring home a paycheck.
One central plot follows former Grimleyite Gloria (Tara Fitzgerald), who returns to town and becomes the band's first female member. She also becomes romantically involved with Andy.
But Gloria is not who she seems — and you'll figure out what she's really doing there quite quickly.
Writer-director Mark Herman ("Blame it on the Bellboy") takes an uneasy approach to all this, as if he's never quite sure whether to make this a flat-out comedy or wallow in sentiment. The mixture never quite gels.
Tompkinson, for example, delivers a fine performance, but his scenes of dark comic anxiety when he tries to be a birthday party clown never quite come together.
Instead, the film reaches its heights during the musical performances, as the band prepares for a competition in London. Then it marches toward its "Rocky"-style conclusion and finishes off with political speeches.
"Brassed Off" is rated R for considerable foul language, as well as some brief nudity.