Made In Dagenham [DVD]

A very British story and a very British film, Made In Dagenham recreates some of the real-life events surrounding the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham assembly plant. It takes, as you might expect, a few liberties with the exact history surrounding the story, but nonetheless tells the tale of a group of women who walked out in search of equal pay for their work. This has all been fashioned into a film by screenwriter Billy Ivory, and director Nigel Cole. Cole, previously responsible for Calendar Girls, is a fine choice for Made In Dagenham, mixing in period detail with assured direction.

His cast serve him well, too. Sally Hawkins, so memorable in Happy Go Lucky, gets a deserved leading role in Made In Dagenham, and puts in a strong performance in return. She leads a strong company of acting talent, that also includes Bob Hoskins, Miranda Richardson and Geraldine James. It’s this cast, along with the aforementioned strong eye for period detail, that really help lift the film. And while there’s a valid accusation that its treatment of the subject matter, and importance of the story, is quite light, it’s a satisfying movie nonetheless. Recommended. --Jon Foster