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  I have grown up for a great deal of my life among a strict class system and rather high society. In addition to that, I lived for about a year in England. Therefore to me I found this movie both highly entertaining and accessible and I believe any European culture would agree. Before it was mentioned that perhaps that would make the movie rather inaccessible to American audiences. I disagree; there are countless movies about class differences and there really are fine distinctions among the classes here even in America, though they tend to be ignored by those who don't want to accept that fact and I find the movies are inaccurate stereotypes of each-other's class.
I found this movie amusing and heart-warming. It examined class-structure and unity in a most becoming way without the means of harsh stereotypes and over dramatic personal development. The characters were funny and well developed. For example, the inmates were a pleasant contrast to the stereotypical hardened criminal: the tough exteriors one perceived at a glance were soon elaborated upon to be some of the most charming male personalities I've seen in movies for a long time. Even the main character wasn't so heartless as he would have liked to be perceived as; he had those moments which made you wonder, keeping him a dynamic character despite himself.
I've seen a great many movies which play off of the social barriers too harshly. The upper-class are always the 'bad guys' in newer movies, while the lower class were the 'bad guys' in older movies. One class picking on another, back and forth, and it gets tedious and conditioning. I've been to so many countries and seen so many classes that I'm beginning to find the whole activist façade shallow. What made this movie such a refreshing social commentary is that it used none of the conventional tools to show distinction. The poor nor the rich were antagonists; they were just people living their lives, raised in their own ways, the way it really is. It made the viewer appreciate the little contrasting differences that were not played upon but still apparent: the two classes taking pride in different things, dressing different ways, speaking different dialects, appreciating different aspects of life. Comparing and contrasting classes in a non-superficial environment is made easy by this film. Stereotypes bore and irritate me, and I feared this film would do the same. British films, however, tend to portray the class system more accurately being it is an integrated part of British society. For example, "Four Weddings and a Funeral", "Arcadia" and "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" are good portrayals of different levels of life in England. Going further back, even "Shakespeare in Love", though a comedy, explains a little about how the class system developed and how it remains the same even today.
In summary, I enjoyed this film a great deal and intend to purchase it if it ever becomes available on video cassette. It had a beautiful portrayal of class distinction and I see it as accessible to any and all audiences for a bit of laughs as well as accurate social commentary. I don't understand why the movie wouldn't make it mainstream, as it was well-directed and well-written with up-and coming actors as well as a few well-known faces. Perhaps it will, and we're just a few of the lucky to be able to appreciate its value first.
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