Review of Made in Dagenham (2010) by Kirk V — 09 Nov 2010

I love films that teach me about a moment in history that I knew nothing about, as I leave the theatre not only entertained but also informed, more knowledgeable. Made in Dagenham is such a movie. Norma Rae meets Calendar Girls is this fact-based tale of a group of working class women in the late 60s fighting for equal rights and equal pay from their Ford Motor Company employer in a small blue collar suburb of East London called Dagenham.

Told with authenticity and great affection, Made in Dagenham celebrates female empowerment but not at the expense of all its male characters. There is sympathy for everyone's struggles here and its unemployed, how do we make bill payments emotions resonate in today's economic climate.

Though sometimes the veddy, veddy British working class dialect make understanding the dialogue a challenge, you quickly fall under the spell of luminous leading lady Sally Hawkins (so incredible in Happy-Go-Lucky) that you get swept up in her cause just as her nation did.

A fiery Miranda Richardson and a stunning Rosamund Pike are among the convincing cast. Made in Dagenham is a Fight the Power type film that may feel overly familiar in its general terms but in its rich period details and spirited warmth and triumph, you'll want to join these brave women as they fight for what is right.

Sally Field would be proud!