▁– ▁written ▁by ▁Peter ▁Richard son ▁and ▁P ete ▁Rich ens , ▁and ▁directed ▁by ▁Richard son ▁– ▁which ▁made ▁up ▁the ▁long - running ▁Channel ▁ 4 ▁television ▁series ▁The ▁Com ic ▁St rip ▁Pres ents .... ▁First ▁a ired ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁it ▁also ▁received ▁a ▁limited ▁the atr ical ▁release , ▁and ▁won ▁the ▁Golden ▁Rose ▁of ▁Mont re ux ▁for ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁concerns ▁Paul ▁( Alex ei ▁Say le ), ▁a ▁Wel sh ▁former ▁min er ▁and ▁asp iring ▁screen writer , ▁who ▁writes ▁a ▁hard - h itting ▁film ▁script ▁about ▁his ▁own ▁experiences ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁Min ers ' ▁St rike . ▁However , ▁the ▁Hollywood ▁production ▁company ▁that ▁gets ▁hold ▁of ▁his ▁script ▁turns ▁it ▁into ▁a ▁lud ic r ously ▁sens ational ist ▁and ▁an ach ron istic ▁action ▁film , ▁st arring ▁Al ▁Pac ino ▁( play ed ▁by ▁Richard son ) ▁as ▁Arthur ▁Sc arg ill , ▁and ▁M ery l ▁St ree p ▁( J enn ifer ▁Sau nd ers ) ▁as ▁his ▁wife . ▁The ▁film ▁also ▁stars ▁Rob bie ▁Col tr ane , ▁N ig el ▁Plan er ▁and ▁Keith ▁Allen ▁( all ▁of ▁whom ▁play ▁multiple ▁roles ), ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁fle eting ▁appearances ▁from ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁regular ▁Com ic ▁St rip ▁perform ers , ▁including ▁Ad rian ▁Ed mond son , ▁R ik ▁May all ▁and ▁Da wn ▁French . ▁ ▁Its ▁subject