Chad and I watch movies. This year I’ve resolved to keep better track of my movies as I am often asked for recommendations. Or at least, I enjoy giving recommendations. Check the tab above to see lists of my previously watched movies.
This British flick is a dramatization of the moment the all the female workers at the Ford factory in Dagenham, England, decided that working at half the pay as men and being called unskilled was for the birds. Led by spunky and surprised Rita O’Grady (the young mom of two never imagined she’d be a community organizer), the women take first timid and then more determined steps to hold their ground – in fact, their unanticipated strike shuts the factory down! It’s a bit shivery to think about how recently women were treated so second class. The story begins two days after my birthday in May 1968. Sally Hawkins is perfect as O’Grady (she was the lead in another good one, Happy-Go-Lucky) and you’ll feel like you know more about history when you’re done. Got 7.1/10 at IMDb. I give it a B+.
This movie was pretty much panned by the critics (4.9/10 at IMBb), and I give it a C. But there was something interesting going on, in terms of the cinematic telling of a fairy tale. It doesn’t nail it like The Princess Bride, or even like Bella’s pre-teen obsession, The Tenth Kingdom, but it does attempt a certain stylization of fantasy – just promises more than it can deliver. The director relies too heavily on stereotypes and the relationships are never developed. The storyline is good, clever even. Watchable, but just barely. I’m waiting for another good Neil Gaiman story to be told (Neverworld, please!)
