Review of Made in Dagenham (2010) by Rob L — 20 Aug 2011

Impeccable sentiments of course - with this tale of equal pay a landmark in the history of labour relations the world over, the movie spoils things slightly by its knockabout, "Carry On" style atmosphere - one almost expects Bernard Breslaw and Kenneth Williams to make appearances.

So, there are occasional lapses into the trivial even if there is a darkness here and there too - a sub plot that involves Trigger from Only Fools and Horses is grim indeed. That he should appear is no surprise - the movie is a who's who of contemporary UK acting - Jaime Winstone, Andrea Risborough and, of course the ubiquitous Sally Hawkins herself represent the younger generation along with "cockney sparrow" Daniel Mays, while long serving heavyweights Bon Hoskins and Miranda Richardson feature on behalf of the oldies. It's all therefore a bit fluffy and probably not as good as a similar movie, Brassed Off and certainly the supreme Human Resources directed by Laurent Cantet - the Sixties being a more optimistic age for organised labour.