TheLittleSongbird The talented cast and the interesting subject matter were Made in Dagenham's selling points, and Made in Dagenham doesn't disappoint. Sure it is formulaic and the opposition is not as well-developed or as interesting as the machinists(Kenneth Cranham's character is a little one-dimensional), otherwise it is a terrific film that is as successful in comedy as it is in drama and balances both very well.Made in Dagenham's production values are superb, the 1960s setting and period detail is remarkably vivid and it's beautifully shot. The catchy soundtrack also excels in bringing the 60s to life and nothing came over as misplaced. Nigel Cole's direction is never too flashy and never simplistic and always assured, technically accomplished and with the ability to tell a story with heart and that's always engaging. There is a great story here, while it is formulaic the balance of comedy, how it handles its subject with such truth and no one-sided-ness and drama and mix of gritty social history make it always interesting and more than makes up for that. The ending is very uplifting and affecting, and it is easy for identify with the machinists and their struggles every step of the way.The film's very intelligently scripted, with the subject matter dealt with insightfully and with tension and the dialogue is hilariously entertaining in the comedy and genuinely touching in the drama. I also found the characters compelling and easy to relate to, but if there is one asset that was especially good in Made in Dagenham it was the acting. Sally Hawkins is a revelation in the lead role and she is brilliantly supported by a scene-stealing Miranda Richardson, a movingly sympathetic Bob Hoskins, a funny and moving Rosamund Pike in one of her better performances, a sleazy Kenneth Cranham and a heart-wrenching Roger Lloyd Pack et al. All in all, a terrific film with even better acting. 9/10 Bethany Cox

sergepesic Even in these, supposedly advanced, modern times, a lot of women get paid less than men for the same job. It doesn't get put bluntly, at least that much changed, as in 1968 Dagenham car plant. Because, if you can stomach that, the men are breadwinners, and women, I guess worked to fill the empty hours till the strong, protective fella comes home." Made in Dagenham" is a charming, almost fairytale, filled with catchy 60's pop music and loads of plucky, strong women. It could've easily been made as one of those dry as bones movies with an educational historical mission. Fortunately the director, Nigel Cole had both sense and talent, and told this incredible story with the right amount of humor and even melodrama. Having all of those marvelous British actors helped immensely, as usual.

FlashCallahan In 1968, the women at the Ford auto plant in Dagenham, England go on strike. As sewing machine operators making the coverings for car seats, their jobs have been reclassified from semi-skilled to unskilled. A friendly shop steward, tells strike leader Rita that this isn't about whether they are skilled or not. They're getting paid less because they are women and unless they change things, they will always make less than the men do. The women walk off the job and eventually the plant runs out of car seats with the entire plant threatening to shut down. With the men nearly out of work it's left to Rita to convince them they need the support of all worker to succeed. The intervention of a senior government Minister who takes up their cause despite a heavy- handed response from Ford clears the way for a solution and leads to legislation on equal pay for work of equal value.....I can imagine there is a fair demographic of men who will hate this film with a vengeance, and to be fair, it's portrayal of men comes across pretty typecast, we all want our dinner on the table, we all go to the pub after work, and we all treat women as lesser people, as seen when Rita complains to the teacher, or whenever Pike is on screen.But this little typecasting is intricate to the plot, and makes the womens journey that little bit more for-filling and making you say 'go on girls' in your head that little bit more.It's a phenomenal movie with some great performances, but Sally Hawkins really makes the film the emotional feast it is. Not only does Rita happen to accidentally run the strike, but she has to contend with abuse on the street and a husband who cannot cope with the change to his activities of daily living.Pike has never been better and Richardson also puts in a great performance as the minister who made it all happen for Rita and the girls.All in all it's pretty old fashioned with the way men are portrayed here, but as i've said before, it's vital to the plot, so I won't complain too much.

lasttimeisaw Sally Hawkins' Golden Globe winning in 2009 for HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008) prompts herself to the eminent status as a new rising star from UK, so two years later, she acquired another hard- earned leading role in this Nigel Cole (CALENDAR GIRLS 2003, a 7/10) helmed biographic story of women's fighting for equal rights (equal pay). It is rather hard to believe that merely half-a-century ago, equal pay would induce such a startling pain-in-the-neck in UK, the most advanced and civilised country in the world, which should have been taken for granted by anyone anywhere now without a second thought. So each and every little progress in the human history needs tremendous effort to push behind it, and gladly this film is able to manage a solid job to portray such an effort with a strongly female- skewed cast. Hawkins has an ardent inner power within her willowy body, the most intense scene is the explosive encounter between her and her husband (Daniel Mays), when she shoots back with the punchline "It is what it should be!", definitely a soul-lifting achievement just by one single line and her current ranking is among my top 5 in the leading actress category. Then comes to the supporting group, Oscar-nominees Hoskins and Richardson are both fine, but unfortunately no scene-stealing moment; otherwise veteran Geraldine James and the former Bond-girl Rosamund Pike are the lucky ones here, the former is compellingly amiable even in her saddest time, while the latter deftly utilising her very meagre screen time to declare her faculty in transform some average shots into her personal proscenium (she is among my top 10 supporting actress list). The film may not be an idiosyncratic piece of work which should have infusing new blood into the heartening but vaguely worn-out biography breed, and more or less, its narrative strategy is too formal and a trifle conservative, but it has its flair in instilling a feel-good assurance to its audience without being dictatorial and sermonic, plus an adroit engineering of its source material into its maximum momentum, and last not the least, a laudable UK troupe is the key of it.