Pride is the story of a struggling mining community in Wales who, almost by accident, find themselves being assisted by the most unlikely of allies: a group of lesbian and gay activists from London, who work to raise money for families affected by the miners’ strike of 1984.

Based on true events, Pride comes out as a joyous comedy that gives audiences an off-kilter view of the political climate of Britain in the 1980s and the Union movement’s struggle under the Thatcher regime. In other words, watching Pride is like going to a very exciting 101 course about the history of political engagement – but with a lot more laughs and a lot less reading.

Pride is funny without undermining the passion behind both groups’ struggles. It speaks to those still on the journey to self-discovery, as well as those needing a boost of confidence in creating social change during hard times. As directed by Matthew Warchus and smartly written by Stephen Beresford, the film features a wonderful and passionate ensemble of veteran British actors and young relative-unknowns. Together, they a deliver a movie that is empowering to the end and has been hailed as one of the best British movies produced in 2014. Whether you see this alone or with friends, make no mistake: you will end up punching your fist in the air with solidarity.

Mathias (Kline), a three-times-divorced recovering alcoholic, has sold all he owns to buy a plane ticket to Paris in order to claim an inheritance from his recently deceased, much-hated father: an inner city Parisian flat, worth a fortune but, alas for the penniless Mathias, not a fortune. And the other catch is that Mathilde (Smith), a 90-year-old woman, is living in it.

Under French law and the terms of the initial en viager sale decades ago, Mathias owns the flat outright but cannot live there or sell it until Mathilde dies. And, along with the flat (and the terms of the original sale), Mathias has inherited a 2,400-euro-a-month debt which he has no way of paying.

Kline is a wonderfully warm actor who allows us to see the tender heart within this lifelong failure. Even at the end of his rope (no money, no home, no way out of the trap he’s in), he’s relaxed – as is the film, an amble through Paris that takes us places we didn’t expect to go, with the three characters (there’s also a daughter, played by Scott Thomas) ever so often making unpleasant discoveries about one another’s pasts. I want to say it’s a charming film, and it is, but that might give the wrong impression: the film is darker than anything so sweet has a right to be; or, perhaps, sweeter than anything so dark has a right to be.