Councillor: the movie

I’ve been looking for some cinematic inspiration.

After a few weeks of door-knocking, leaflet-dropping and away-from-dog-running I wanted to see the idealised version. I wanted to see how local elections play in the movies.

Sure you get the big politics stuff. The American Revolution, the Russian Revolution, presidents, guerilla leaders and Madonna singing.

Where’s all the stuff that people can relate to though? Is it too much to expect a little cinematic diversion about a battle over potholes which bring star-crossed lovers together?

I haven’t seen The Long Walk To Finchley about how Margaret Thatcher secured her place as an MP but it seemed like it was heading in the right direction.

I have seen Our Friends in the North which starts off with a thinly-disguised view on the T Dan Smith reign in

Newcastle

. Good stuff; but a little historical.

The third series of The Wire is up to date, marvellously plotted and with gruesomely believable characters in city hall and on the streets - but it’s on the wrong continent. I could definitely see it being relocated to

Bristol

though. You can do your own casting for who fits the role of Stringer Bell and the rest.

But this was getting patchy. Maybe local politics is just too, well, grey for the Technicolour screen.

And then I watched Milk about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in

America

. Sean Penn is dynamite as the

San Francisco

camera shop owner and Republican who energises a social and political movement. One that still has a fight on its hands.

What made it real was that, once on the city council, Milk needed to break out of being seen simply as interested in gay issues and broaden his base. So he picks up on the issue of dog mess. As Milk’s advisor says: “Solve that problem and you’ll be elected mayor.”

Yes, it truly is the international issue of choice to get people writing to their local representative.

Have I missed a film or TV series which can better Milk for aspiring local councillors? Was there ever a Carry On Moving That Amendment? Surely this cannot be it?