Review of Made in Dagenham (2010) by Tonje M — 24 Oct 2011

Feelgood film about a milestone in the battle for Equal Pay. Sally Hawkins plays a gritty and principled shop steward whose central message is just as relevant today in these times of savage cuts. Stand up for what is right.

Bob Hoskins gives a superb, generous and measured performance in the supporting role as her mentor (surely Harry Hill will play him in his biopic). The script is intelligently even-handed, not only for showing up Ford as exploitative and confrontational bosses, but also reminding us that in those days, unlike now, the Unions themselves harboured the most appalling chauvanistic attitudes.

There are some lovely sixties observations: as children we did all pester our parents to get a colour television, and owning a Biba dress was what we girls aspired to (I got mine when I was 14). Finally, Miranda Richardson as Barbara Castle has surely thrown down the gauntlet to producers to get her to reprise this role in a long overdue film of the life of this legend in politics and the Labour Party.