Review of Made in Dagenham (2010) by Stuart A — 05 Oct 2010

I was 8 months old when the lady machinists of the Ford plant in Dagenham downed needles and bought the UK operation of the car company to a complete halt. I grew up in a household where my dad worked in the motor industry and was also fairly active in the trades union movement so the setting and background of this fabulous movie just filled me with huge waves of nostalgia.

The era of hot pants and 'dolly birds', when every house had a rubber plant in the corner and a bottle of Blue Nun at a Berni Inn was the height of sophistication was superbly realised allowing the characters to appear both honest and natural in their surroundings.

There are some real laugh out loud moments (I'd forgotten just how vast ladies bras were in the 60's) and terrific lines of dialogue which perfectly capture the banter that exists in a factory workplace while there is enough poingnancy to bring a lump to the throat without sinking into maudlin. It's an absolute delight to see Geraldine James taking a major role in a movie and both Bob Hoskins and Sally Hawkins sparkle when they are on the screen. But for me, it was the portrayal of the 'Anti-Thatcher' Barbara Castle by Miranda Richardson that had me open mouthed with admiration. Possibly the best politician of the era, she is recreated with the firey passion and impish humour for which she was famed, it's a tour de force of a performance.

This is a fictionalised account of a factual event but these women deserve recognition for the stance they took and the cause of equality. The Suffragettes are celebrated for their efforts and this gem of a movie may go some way to bring the story of these pioneering women to the notice of the younger generation. For that it needs to be applauded and as a piece of entertainment it is definitely worth seeking out.