All the ingredients of a British feelgood movie are there but the overall effect is somewhat spoilt by the tendency to portray all the male authority figures as buffoons. The two Civil Servants were ridiculous, Harold Wilson was laughable and as for Lisa Hopkins - well there is no way such a clever lady would've married such a ninny of a husband. The movie is set in May/June 1968 and it's a pity more care wasn't taken to ensure the period detail was spot on. Mostly it's OK but some elements aren't quite right (e.g. Hot Pants were an early 70's fashion). Nice to see 'Sooty' again though! The film has all the look and feel of a TV movie and is utterly predictable in its mix of humour and tragedy. Sally Hawkins is excellent as the leader of the women strikers out for equal pay with their male colleagues at the Ford motor plant.Bob Hoskins also does well and gets to deliver one line reminiscent of Harold Shand in 'The Long Good Friday'. It's just a pity that in portraying the women as strong salt-of-the-earth characters, the men have to be seen as caricatures.
Review of Made in Dagenham
