User Reviews

From the director NIGEL COLE (Calendar Girls, Saving Grace), MADE IN DAGENHAM tells the tale of the 187 women that worked at the Ford Motor companies Dagenham factory - and their struggle to earn equal rights and pay with the 55,000 male workers at the factory.

Set in 1968, the economy was used to frequent union uprisings and strikes – but this was the first time that it was the women upholsterers who sewed car seat covers that took the initiative … after being "down-graded" to a non-skilled status – the women rose as one to walk out, in an action that brought them into direct conflict with the management, their own unions and their own husbands … eventually brought the Ford motor company to it's knees

Many laughed at the women's actions … until their strength of feeling … and reality set in … forcing the unions and the management to take increasingly desperate measures to get the women back to work … as factory production ground to a halt.

Rita O'Grady (played admirably by SALLY HAWKINS), a shy, pleasant worker working in sweat shop conditions, found her voice when asked to stand up for the women's views, and gradually became more and more empowered as the rest of the women stood behind her in a crusade that became synonymous with equal rights

The story climax's nicely in an emotional showdown, as the situation finally comes to a head and the chief participants (Ford, the Government, the Women, the unions and the men workers) all realise that things have gone too far … and none of them can back down.

As well as Sally Hawkins, there are some strong performances by other members of the cast – specifically, Bob Hoskins as Albert, Miranda Richardson as an exuberant Barbra Castle, the lovely Rosamund Pike as Lisa, Geraldine James as Connie, Kenneth Cranham as Monty (Unions) and Richard Schiff as Robert Tooley (Ford).

The music, costumes and the locations set up the tone of the times nicely, and the direction is solid throughout. The camera work is able, and is interspersed with footage from the actual era giving it more gravitas.

In a phrase, it's … "Girl Power – union style"

Greetings again from the darkness. The first thing that strikes you about this movie is that it looks and feels like ancient history. In fact, it is based on the real life happenings in 1968 - only about 40 years ago. Sally Hawkins (so wonderful in Happy-Go-Lucky) portrays Rita O'Grady, the Ford sewing machinist who reluctantly takes on the leadership role in the battle for equal pay for women.

Director Nigel Cole tells this story minus the heavy-handedness of the times. In fact, it's a very entertaining tale of right vs wrong - because "that's how we have always done it". He uses actual archival footage of Ford plants, cars and workers, as well as general footage of England circa 1968. These cuts give the film a feel for the times and prevent any over-analysis of wardrobe and sets in the movie. Mr. Cole clearly has an understanding of women based on this film and his previous work in "Calendar Girls".

The cross-fire between the unions, Ford, the workers and the government really bang home the notion of just how ridiculous this entire argument was (and is). Rita O'Grady was so effective because she cut through the muck and made it what it really is ... a simple case of right vs. wrong. Rights vs. privilege. This was never more apparent than in her meeting with Secretary of State Barbara Castle (Miranda Richardson). Madam Secretary is attempting to negotiate a settlement that will keep Ford happy, but quickly realizes ... with help from O'Grady ... that there is really only one correct course of action.

Supporting work is excellent from Bob Hoskins, Ms. Richardson, Daniel Mayes (as O'Grady's husband), Rupert Graves and Rosamund Pike (husband and wife on different teams) and the rest of the cast of women, as well as the Ford executives and Union leaders. The film mostly rests on the shoulders of Sally Hawkins, who breezes through with a natural energy that just makes you want to pull for her. She was terrific in Happy-Go-Lucky, and even better here.

The film stops short of detailing the massive battle that escalated the following year between Secretary Castle and the Labor Unions. Most attribute these fights to the downfall of the Labour Party in 1970. However, Ms. Castle's contributions are very clear in these all important topics and led directly to England's Equal Pay laws of 1970, which in turn paved the way for most other countries to follow.

This is a very uplifting film and shows the bravery and determination required of those who change the course of history. Whenever you hear talk regarding the lack of strong female movie roles, this film is exhibit number one that fact can be even stronger than fiction!

A fine recreation of the major historic step for equal pay for women. Dramatic but with plenty of laughs in the workplace and the biased tradition of different levels politics. Also a glimpse at the class differences in modern 1968 England and the soundtrack instantly took me back to when I was 20. This should be mandatory watching for management till they really understand it. Also mandatory watching for the rest of us to remind us that fighting for a cause is difficult but can succeed. Very well written and acted, I see a lot of movies and most need more spend on shortcomings in the story/script and less on overpaid actors, I really could not find fault in "Made In Dagenham".

Made in Dagenham hit the screen and shows that a not-exceedingly-mega- budget film can be the best of the year.

The factually based story of how the Dagenham women brought Ford to a standstill makes for surprising film material.But it works .The film is authentic to the late 60s down to the tea cups and kitchen cabinets , the clothes and make up.

Miranda Richardson as Barbara Castle steals the film,Bob Hoskins,Geraldine James are all excellent in their roles.

Stay in for the credits though, that part of it had me reaching for the tissues .

This is a film which will have you shaking with anger one minute and crying the next.Highly recommended.

The movie gets to convey the atmosphere of those months in 1968, where 187 women joined together and went on a strike to ask for equal salaries to men, and better conditions of work. We as viewers really feel the cohesion, the solidarity, as well as the tensions of this group. Never pedantic, or too dramatically committed, the movie gets to make the public, mainly the female one, reflect upon the hard struggle women had to face before getting some basic rights, when still actual and necessary is the reflection about today's condition of female workers, when some kind of discrimination is still to be faced. However, the movie proceeds with a soft and entertaining pace, maybe at some points too entertaining, the sparkling character of Rita O'Grady herself was invented in order to make the story more cinematographically involving. No doubt however the cast makes a difference, the actresses offer single heart-felt interpretations, in the same way as the choral shots show intensity and strong emotion.

Social drama and comedy can be a tough balancing act. In telling the story of how a small group of women working in a factory in the late 1960s began a minor industrial dispute that rapidly escalated into a spearhead movement for gender equality in employment, Made in Dagenham plays it mostly for drama and keeps the laughs low-key and naturalistic. A closer kin to say, Billy Elliot, than to The Full Monty.

Sally Hawkins, best known so far for her breakout role in Happy Go Lucky, becomes the accidental spokesperson in this dispute, and delivers a beautifully nuanced performance of a woman who is angry and frustrated at the injustices of her situation, but has never felt able to voice them until now. In her quiet, sometimes faltering delivery we can sense the well of deep-seated conviction that has been struggling to find its voice. However, it is in the relationships of the women that the film finds its most compelling moments. Few movies these days even attempt, and very rarely succeed, in painting such an honest and heartfelt picture of female relationships and interaction.

By comparison to the core group, some of the surrounding roles (Bob Hoskins magnificently excepted) are rather more coarsely sketched. A pair of dopey civil servants in particular seem to be intended (although certainly not succeeding) as comedy sidekicks and feel rather out of place.

However the story is told in such an understated manner, easy on the grandstanding, and rather working its way under the skin with warmth and honesty; that after being little more than mildly entertained for much of the running time, I was genuinely caught off guard by how I was suddenly seething with anger at the unfairness of their plight, or elated with each little success. In a tale with huge nationwide consequences, it's the personal victories that count the most.

After a summer of endless animations and shlock-horror here - at last! - is a film with real heart.

Sally Hawkins is a revelation as Rita who becomes the striking machinists' spokeswoman; her speeches to co-workers, union chiefs, management and the press all start out tremulous and gain in confidence as she hits her stride. Geraldine James who usually plays upper-class ladies (I'm still trying to forgive and forget her breast-feeding David Walliams in Little Britain!) here plays a kind of 'upper-working-class' woman with a husband still shell-shocked from WW2. John Sessions does a Spitting Image turn as Harold Wilson, and Miranda Richardson morphs her Blackadder Elizabeth I into a fiery Barbara Castle (dressed by C&A).

In my Gap Year (date withheld) I worked in a Sussex factory that had a sewing-room. The movie gets the atmosphere exactly right but I don't think working women were quite as free with the f-word back then as they are in this script. The end credits run against pictures of the original Dagenham strikers who all look like clones of Corrie's Ena Sharples and Florrie Linley. Some of the film machinists are more Carnaby Street than Coronation Street, but that's OK. These girls make you laugh, they occasionally bring a lump to your throat, but most of all they make you want to cheer.

A small slice of 1960s history, this film packs a big punch. Do not miss it.

Made in Dagenham has brilliantly broken the mould. It combines the clear, explicit and nuanced politics of the best of Ken Loach with the heart-grabbing attractions of any mainstream popular film you care to name. The brilliant scene where Sally Hawkin's modest and unpractised union rep spells out why the job she does is skilled is a metaphor for the whole movie. Politics isn't hard to understand – it's our lives, stupid! I cannot think of a previous British film with a mainstream aesthetic that has had the guts before to put the ordinary workers' point of view so wholeheartedly at its centre. But this is no simplistic idealised narrative. Going on strike, as the women find, makes you very unpopular, not least with the very people you'd thought would support you – the Union leadership and your fellow (male) workers. Nothing is a cinch, nothing too easily won and Sally Hawkins brilliantly portrays the thorny predicament of the figurehead of the struggle beginning to doubt her own single-mindedness and how much it's costing not just her family but the entire town (and possibly the UK's) working community. Made in Dagenham shows a true story in a truthful, thoroughly engaging way. There is not one bum note in any of the performances – from Kenneth Cranham's sleazily compromised Union official, to Rosamund Pike's surprisingly moving posh wife, to Jamie Winstone's wannabe model – everybody has a committed credibility without ever being worthy or cloying and Sally Hawkins (with a startling look of the young Rita Tushingham) plays a richly layered blinder in the central role. Huge hats off to the writer Billy Ivory who has written a bright, funny, completely unpatronising and clever script. And a big, big thank you to producers Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen for the guts to get right inside the truth of this big, big story that started in a little place.

Ignore the dull title and settle down for a feel-good movie movie which dramatises the historic equal-pay struggle of the woman-workers at Ford's Dagenham car-assembly plant in 1968.

Yes, it's deliberately sexed-up and you can see a stage-musical bursting to get out a la "Billy Elliott", "The Full Monty" et al (one is in production) but the underlying story is still purveyed with a winning mixture of pathos and good humour. The era is effectively conveyed with the fashion, domestic interiors and of course cars of the day to appeal to the nostalgia freaks in all of us and if the sixties' soundtrack is occasionally eclectic ("Green Tambourine" by the Lemon Pipers?), it does at least start with the apt Desmond Dekker song "Israelites" (opening line "Get up every morning, slaving for breakfast") and ends in triumph with another reggae classic "You Can Get It If You Really Want" by Jimmy Cliff.

Directed by "Calendar Girls" Nigel Cole, the story does "go Hollywood" a little too obviously at times, with its creation of the two main trade union women representatives at the heart of the protest, Sally Hawkins initially reluctant but miraculously eloquent and feisty mother- of-two Rita O'Grady and Geraldine James as the older Connie with her own back-story of being married to a stuffy, emotionally-damaged and dependant war veteran, played by the recently deceased Roger Lloyd-Pack. Apparently in real-life, the women didn't "strip down" in the heat at the factory or wear hot-pants as one of the younger ones does but these are obviously inserted for humour and I suppose mild titillation. Rita's own relationship with her initially supportive husband comes under strain as the strike hits them financially but of course he comes round in the end, while Gloria's situation with her ailing husband takes a dramatic, perhaps overly-dramatic turn for the worse too. I wasn't completely convinced either by Rita's bonding with the posh wife of one of the Ford officials but at least it opened the story out with its inference that sexual discrimination is classless.

By the time we get to the grandstand finish when the women convince Labour's high- profile Employment Cabinet Minister, Barbara Castle to announce their victory outside Parliament to triumphant background music, while obviously milked to some extent, it's impossible not to cheer for their success.

There are some good acting performances, especially Hawkins as Britain's answer to Norma Rae, Miranda Richardson as self-proclaimed fiery redhead MP Castle and Bob Hoskins as a sympathetic veteran male union rep.

There's a great story to be told here, this being the first ever time that the equal rights for women taboo was broken in employment history and I probably would have preferred a more serious, true-to-life approach but watch the film to be educated and entertained, if not quite in equal measure.

I really enjoyed this film. Why are such top-notch films so few and far between? A great period piece... a great illustration of social history. It is well written apart from a couple of modern expressions in the dialogue. It is brilliantly acted, the settings, costumes and clothes are excellent. It took my attention at all times and I was sorry when it came to an end. The women really gave the impression of being genuinely good mates. I hope the working conditions for them in Ford's were not quite so cramped as the film portrayed! I worked in a clothing factory in Witham, Essex in 1968 and there was room to walk round all the sewing machines and we kept it immaculately clean. It's a pity equal pay still isn't quite there, in spite of legislation. That old trick of changing the job-title to keep the pay-rate down perpetuates! I have just read the other reviews. I notice Richard Schiff mentioned a lot... not sure who he is or what he played in the film, but I also note the more negative reviews are written by men, which illustrates the point of the film has well and truly got home. Something I found to be most refreshing in this film is the characters, which I would describe as normal... It was not about people who are constantly saying "f**k and are late for posh weddings. Nor was it about people who work for or know a prime minister and meet up when they go to the local comprehensive school nativity play. As for "hot pants" appearing... these girls were machinists... they would have made their own clothes... we all did. My sister made a very short pair of bright yellow shorts in 1963. We've got the Super 8 film of her wearing them to prove it!

A strike by female workers, which led to the introduction of the Equal Pay Act in the UK (and similar legislation in other countries), is the subject of 'Made in Dagenham'. The film provides a spirited (and partisan, though generally believable) account of the women's struggle; and a portrait of 1960s life a long way from the classical image of "swinging London". There's some melodrama, and a comic book portrayal of Harold Wilson, but it's generally a convincing and ultimately uplifting story, and an unusual one for modern sympathies, in that the trade unions are (more or less) shown fighting the good fight. However, in highlighting a struggle against such an obvious injustice, the film only partially makes a more general point: that unionism is always ugly (in that it concerns the promotion of a sectional interest to the detriment of the whole), but can still be a good thing if the section it represents cannot otherwise be heard. When that section is as large as 50% of the population, the point seems obvious; but it's just as true when the interest is narrower (but still neglected). The film's credits are shown interspersed with interviews with some of the women involved, and it did make me wonder if a documentary might not ultimately have proved more enlightening. Overall, though, the film did its job of showing how our world has changed in the last 40 years; and in some ways, for the better.

A light, but solid account of the women's strike at Ford's Dagenham to secure equal pay for women. Director Nigel Cole's last big success was "Calendar Girls" and his eye for place and dialogue is much in evidence once again.. A very good cast performs a good script well, in a confident running time of one hour and three quarters.

Sally Hawkins shines as strike leader by default, Rita, ably supported by Bob Hoskins as shop steward, a part he plays with relish and aplomb. Yet unlike "Calendar Girls" ,this story has an epic sweep about it which the screenplay struggles with. Although set on the outskirts of London, in 1968, very little period music is used, depriving proceedings of nostalgia and mood music, even the fashions are slightly out of sync with the year. Equally, the all female workshop's predilection for stripping to their underwear in the un air –conditioned heat eschews the obvious option of plenty of shots of pretty girls in nice bras, for matronly women in passion killing foundation wear. These easy "hits" are missed, for better or for worse. Yet there are the "London Trademark" shots of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Double Decker red buses – but without a Beatles and Kinks soundtrack.

A protracted strike does not make for entertaining viewing so wisely Cole focuses on the domestic melodrama's of the striking women. It is when it reaches beyond that the story suffers. Ford, and their Chairman, are shown in vignette in a fairly unfavourable light, such that a notice appears at the film's end to say what a model company they now are. The all male Union bosses fare little better and are largely shown as self centred misogynists. In the same way that the story tells how many of the male workers were not behind the strike, equally male viewers may feel that the male view point is shown in shorthand.

A very contrived relationship between Rita, and the wife of a local Ford Manager, played by the impossibly gorgeous Rosamund Pike grates a little, whilst Miranda Richardson makes the best of a ridiculously underwritten role as Barbera Castle. The comic bumbling duo of her under secretaries should have been left on the cutting room floor. John Sessions turn as Harold Wilson is hopelessly misconceived.

Yet for all the flaws when the film over stretches itself, it is at home, "at home". Dagenham domestic life, and tragedy, is fondly evoked with Geraldine James as Connie, particularly good, and the feel of the era is authentically re –created. This isn't a comedy, nor is it a social history, but as light drama it entertains and satisfies.

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.

Released in Britain in the week that the Equalities Act was largely brought into force, this film tells the true story of a 1968 three-week strike for equal pay which indirectly led to the Equal Pay Act of 1970. The scene of the stoppage was the Ford car works in Dagenham near east London, although the actual shooting of the factory scenes took place in a former Hoover factory in Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. At the time, Ford's Essex factory employed 55,000 men who were always involved in stoppages and strikes but this is the story of the 187 women machinists at the River Plant who were demanding regrading.

There are many fine performances here, notably Sally Hawkins (who was so impressive in "Happy Go Lucky") as the feisty strike leader, Geraldine James as her co-worker, Bob Hoskins as the women's shop steward, and Richard Schiff ("The West Wing") as Ford's representative from the United States, but also Miranda Richardson as the Labour Minister Barbara Castle and Rosamund Pike as a senior manager's wife. Sadly though, scriptwriter Billy Ivory and director Nigel Cole ("Calendar Girls") have made too many of the characters one-dimensional or even caricatures, especially all those who opposed the strike, whether managers, trade union officials or civil servants.

There is a lot of attention to period detail in the clothing and the music and the film's theme song, with lyrics by Billy Bragg, is performed by Sandie Shaw, herself a former Dagenham Ford worker. And there's a nice touch at the end of all the credits when an injunction from early in the film is repeated: "Everybody, out!"

... the German distribution title of this film is "We want Sex", which runs counter to everything it stands for. You expect a mildly racy working class comedy, whereas 'Made in Dagenham' is a mostly serious account of an important historical breakthrough in gender equality. I would have liked to write a scornful letter to German distributor Tobis, but quite a few people have already done so, garnering the surprising answer that 'We want Sex' is the international distribution title at the request of director Nigel Cole - apparently it was his working title. If that wasn't the case, I'd give it an 8, for 'Made in Dagenham' is a lot better than the silly title led me to assume.

If it's not perfect, then mostly because Sally Hawkins, while delivering a solid portrayal of modest worker-turned-strike leader Kathy O'Grady, cannot quite compete with the thoroughly brilliant support cast, which gives the film a forced feel sometimes. If you consider the verve of Miranda Richardson's portrayal of Barbara Castle and Bob Hoskins' perfect-to-a-tee rendition of supportive unionist Albert, Hawkins' character appears a bit flat at times, especially towards the end.

The historical approach is very accurately done, but being from Eastern Europe I couldn't help but take the story with a grain of salt. Its message is rooted in a very specific past, and as such I would daresay that it isn't so easy for women from other parts of the world today to relate, where the working conditions are still extremely unfair. I've watched it with a friend from my home country (Romania), who said that she liked it a lot, but felt that it had little to do with her own situation. Still, it made ME think, so I guess the film works just fine, it's just a shame that there's no such thing in Romanian or Eastern European cinema, in spite of its festival hipness. Well, maybe it serves as an inspiration.

I am disappointed to read some of the negative vibes about this film. I saw a screening at Vintage Goodwood yesterday and the enjoyment of the audience was overwhelming complete with outbreaks of applause. Some really excellent cinematography especially the extreme close-up of Sally Hawkins in one of her most desperate moments provided a very authentic backdrop to a really believable time-piece movie. Bob Hoskins, Rosamund Pike and Sally Hawkins excel. I came out of the cinema having been educated, entertained and emotionally touched. I wonder just how many of the negative reviews have been written by men who of course may just be feeling rather embarrassed by the roles of their historical alter-egos.

In spite of being sold as, and often coming at you as, a cheery; colourful and uplifting period comedy, Nigel Cole's Made in Dagenham is an often sombre and wholly pensive piece with a jumpy, sprightly aesthetic on the surface that does well to mask the rigid and furrowed subject matter at hand. The film can be funny, but there isn't necessarily anything funny with what it's about. Tonally, it almost most certainly has a lot in common with the likes of British films of recent times about employment and grizzled living in Brassed Off and The Full Monty, although thematically, is a lot closer to the works of Ken Loach – specifically, 2001's The Navigators and 1995's Land and Freedom as a film about a protagonist who isn't particularly bright; enjoys a laugh at the more menial things in life but whose chapter in life we follow sees them incepted into the world of politics and graft when they find something along a social strand that comes along and deeply affects them.

The film follows young Londoner Rita O'Grady, in a tone-perfect performance by Sally Hawkins, who is a fictional character acting as a true-to-life optimisation of eventually rather angry female car plant workers as she veers from that of manual labourer and mother to activist; from carefree, drinking and dancing gal on nights out, to free speaking and male dominated conglomerate thwarting grandstander. O'Grady, along with 186 other women which the film informs us at the beginning with a title card, works at a Ford motor company plant in Dagenham, in England, in the year 1968. They are situated on an expansive work floor and spend their days sewing and stitching together seats that will eventually find their way to brand new Ford motor cars, the likes of which the girls will never be able to afford. Also at the plant, but cut off from where O'Grady and the other women work and thus in another building entirely, are fifty-five thousand other employees – all of them men, and all of them paid just that little bit more for what is essentially the same nature of work. Factoid in mind, and unrest simmering with head office telegrams detailing what it is the girl's don't want to hear, something along these wage orientated lines has to change - the film becoming the brash documentation of exactly that, with O'Grady at the forefront of certain chapters in the history of British industrial action which came to lead to certain new orders.

The girls are not the most advanced of company, they laugh at jokes we don't necessarily find funny and comes across as somewhat course in their shouting at one another across the floor, four letter words if need be, if it means a particular message needs to be put across. Indeed their floor manager, played by an old face in Bob Hoskins of whom it is always pleasant to see, states that he "fought Rommel in The War" and that "his boys weren't half as scary as this lot are". The joy is in the watching of one of them, Hawkins, shift into the beacon of independence she becomes; a change which begins on the off chance but extends into something mighty powerful. Ordinarily, she would never have even been at the initial meetings her plant managers have with British based Ford Motor Company higher-ups – she goes there on a whim since it gets her the day off work and she goes in, she is told by Kenneth Cranham's gruffly spoken suited Dagenham plant boss to just sit there; keep quiet and "nod" as the men take care of what needs to happen.

O'Grady sees things differently, and her coming into these circles of being able to make a difference, of which eventually lead to a charge against gender discriminancy, begins with speaking up and continues with the American owners of the whole corporation having to go toe to toe with members of Harold Wilson's government. A lot of it is punctuated, rather amusingly, by heist movie-esque sequences featuring Hoskins and Hawkins sitting in a diner speaking in hushed tones about the reality of some of the situations certain characters are getting themselves deep-into, the likes of which have not previously been seen and carry with them certain degrees of danger.

What is most pleasing about the film is all of its its attitude towards the material, specifically the bouncy, audience friendly manner in which it comes at us, in spite of dealing with what might usually be considered by the mainstream as a cinematic 'turn off' in that it is a film about female empowerment. The film deserves credit in that it does really well to avoid demonising the male gender, in what could so easily have been a meek victimisation project while its systematic tapping into the 1998 writings of Monk, writings rather neatly inspired by the aforementioned British films of the late 1990s in Brassed Off and The Full Monty, in its depiction of people forced into taking note of women in the workplace as well as its covering of O'Grady's husband, Eddie (the oft-good value Daniel Mays), confronting domestic chores and playing out the mothering role to their two children. The film is a good crack, a vibrant political drama which isn't heavy handed nor preachy and ends up telling a really involving tale which is essentially about the forming of a human's right act – how many films can lay claim to having done that?

Made in Dagenham is a gem of a film, thought-provoking, entertaining and emotional. It tells the true story of the 187 women working as machinists for Ford Dagenham plant who's fight for better pay and conditions played a key part in the battle for equal pay nationally and internationally. I was moved to tears by the passion and commitment shown by ordinary women taking on the entrenched sexism of the time. A sparkling performance from Sally Hawkins as Rita the leader of the group is complemented by excellent performances from the whole cast including Bob Hoskins, Geraldine James and Jaime Winstone. Aside from the serious issues the film also provides a wonderful wallow in nostalgia for the late sixties. I highly recommend this film, the best I've seen so far this year.

It's one of those moments when you look at yourself in the mirror and wonder: "What have I done with this life of mine?" As age catches up with us, such reflective moments occur often – whether you are male or female. You also wonder: "What if I had actually fought for what I believed in? How would that have changed my life?"

The above preamble is one thought which stuck in our minds after the end credits of this British film started rolling. And for a female dominated movie which screams "Give Us Gender Equality Or Give Us Death", it is interesting for a male columnist to pen this review.

Based on real life events of the 1968 Ford sewing machinists strike at the Ford Dagenham assembly plant, the story's protagonist is Rita O'Grady, who represented a group of underpaid women and brought them to walk out in protest against sexual discrimination. They demanded for equal pay, and the result brought about the Equal Pay Act 1970 which prohibits any less favourable treatment between men and women in terms of pay and conditions of employment.

Yes, my counterparts of the opposite gender, things were much worse back then. So there's no need to go on, and on, and on about almost every other thing is against you these days.

Directed by Nigel Cole (A Lot Like Love, Calendar Girls), the star here is undoubtedly Sally Hawkins (Never Let Me Go, An Education) who plays the fictional protagonist. The strike leader was an invention of the filmmakers, and represented the hundreds of women who carried out the strikes in 1968. Hawkins gives a convincing and almost inspiring performance as a woman who wanted her voice to be heard. She is complemented by a wonderful British cast including Miranda Richardson (Fred Claus, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), Geraldine James (Alice in Wonderland, Sherlock Holmes) and Rosamund Pike (Surrogates, Die Another Day). Each woman holds her own weight in this ensemble piece where the men (Bob Hoskins, Daniel Mays) take a backseat to let their counterparts shine.

The 113 minute film is a breeze to sit through, and the easy viewing will please the masses, especially with its positive message of gender equality. There isn't much political undertone in this BAFTA nominated production, and we are guessing it's the filmmakers' intentions to make this as digestible as possible to draw in the crowds. The product is a very agreeable piece with dazzling performances from its cast. Though formulaic, the film still impresses viewers with its costume design and set pieces, which reflect the 1960s' way of life.

What struck this male reviewer isn't the women's fight for equality (this theme has been explored by countless other films), but the possibility of giving up a life which one has always dreamed of, but had no guts to materialising. Watch out for the well acted scene between Hawkins and Pike, where the two engage in a conversation about fighting for what an individual truly believes in. This sequence will have you wanting to go out there to pick up where you left off, and pursuing what your heart tells you.

And we can confidently say, those who succeed are those who will make history – like the women of Dagenham.

• www.moviexclusive.com

In 1968 women at the Ford car factory in Dagenham, UK, went on strike to be re-classed as skilled workers it lead to further action demanding equal pay. The women were responsible for making the seats covers and after a while as they were on strike the covers ran out, meaning car production had to stop and the whole factory came to a stand still. The women and the unions were at loggerheads for some time as orders came in from the headquarters in the US. Eventually with the secretary of state involved the demands were eventually met leading to a change in laws and better rights for women across the industrial world.

This is a fascinating story, perhaps even more so in today's society when woman's rights are much better. It is a very 'British' film, but a very well made one, with a superb cast including Sally Hawkins and Miranda Richardson. There are some wonderful relationships in the film, most of them are effected immensely by the events and it is these deeper moments that are quite moving. The story is the real highlight of the film, it is a remarkable story that really does prove determination is everything. The film recreates the late 1960's very well, occasionally using real stock footage which gives it a more authentic feel. It is interesting to see how the reactions this caused, from the unions and the Ford Corporations dismissal of the women as well as the anger as once the men are on strike and the pay stops.

A real turning point and a industrial landmark, the film provides not only an uplifting entertaining story but a history lesson. The short snippets of interviews of some of the actual women at the end are wonderful, although maybe too short.

More reviews at my site iheartfilms.weebly.com

Some things seem farther away nowadays then they actually are. One of those things is the women movement and women rights in general. I won't say anything about the plot, but I can tell you that the movie works exactly like you would expect it to do. It does have a woman in the main role (that has been Happy-Go-Lucky at another time and superb at that) that carries the movie.

All the other roles are cast good too. The plot moves in a nice pace, you have characters and events happening exactly as they have to happen dramatically (you could call that convenience or movie magic), though they are based on a true story of course. Still this formulaic approach might put you off a bit. Cliché it might be from time to time, it still is a good watch though

Made in Dagenham is one of those films producers think will be great just because it is based on real facts. Still, you need to tell the story the right way and direct it properly.

The movie vacillates between not-so-funny comedy and emotionless drama. The script is flat, lacks depth and dynamism, some elements could have been better used like Lisa (the manager's wife). The general mood surrounding the factory is weirdly edulcorated, and doesn't seem to fit with the fight that is being presented to us.

Ultimately, Made in Dagenham is long, boring and fails to arouse real interest despite a few good scenes.