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If only Uberto Pasolini, producer of "The Full Monty", had a stake in every similar film that has been released since, he would be an even richer man than he already is. He did not, of course, invent the clich茅 of Northern working class no-hopers struggling over extremely high hurdles to realise their dreams, but is certainly responsible for the recent crop of such films. Local accents, lots of humour, large dollops of optimism, and a hint of sadness (for the sake of realism) provide a mix attractive to audiences, who have recently turned "Billy Elliot" into a global hit. And quite right too.
However, "Purely Belter", by the director of "Brassed Off", is not in the same league despite being about football (or rather, the obsessive search for money by two likeable youngsters so they can buy season tickets for Newcastle United). On their journey - which is also a tale of growing up - all the key characteristics are supplied and, although the film is primarily bouncy and funny ("when we get our tickets, we'll get something we never had" and "what, proper pies?"), it also includes occasional shots of realism, mainly involving a battered mum and her sexually-abused daughter. "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet" 's Tim Healy is a strong presence as the violent, abusive father.
Indeed Chris Beattie and Greg McLane, both newcomers, are wonderfully unforced and amusing as the two lads, but they would have benefited from characters which were fuller in a film that was richer. Despite the fair number of effective comic set-ups and poignant interludes, "Purely Belter" is really just a string of scenes involving the boys' efforts to find cash. Not big enough for its boots.
