Author: Alton Williams

Made in Dagenham ***½

Originally intended to be released under the name We Want Sex (something which refers to a slight mishap with a banner that appears in the film, one reading “We Want Sex Equality”), the reasons for changing the name of this film to Made in Dagenham are probably blatantly obvious from a marketing perspective.
After all, the original title could easily have created the wrong impression as to what the film actually is, even if the title was probably better than the new one on so many levels, making much more of an impression than the rather bland title that has replaced it. What is Made in Dagenham, though, you may be wondering, particularly if you haven’t seen the trailer. Well, this film – brought to you by Nigel Cole, best known for the hit British movies Calendar Girls – is a dramatisation of the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham Assembly Plant (not the place where the protesters worked but where the protest was held) where female workers walked out in protest against sexual discrimination and the desire for equal pay. This walkout was instrumental in the Equal Pay Act 1970. So, essentially, this film is a portrayal of a key event in British history and one that all the women who enjoy equal rights to men owe their freedoms to. A key event in recent British history for sure but it doesn’t sound like a particularly engrossing film does it? Well, while it is being billed as a ‘dramatisation’, the film is in actual fact a comedy drama based on the events, clearly aiming to be amusing as it is informative and given director Cole’s experience with such British movies in the past (Calendar Girls was also a comedy drama based on true British events) he certainly has all the know how to pull this film off, even if the result isn’t as entertaining as you might expect.

Dagenham 1968 – the staging ground for the first ever industrial strike by women and an event that grew to affect the entire country and eventually led to the advent of the Equal Pay Act. Rita O’Grady (Sally Hawkins) is the catalyst for this change in 1960s Britain. An everyday working woman, doing her job as a machinist at a factory near the Ford Dagenham Assembly Plant during the daytime and the rest of the time looking after her family, including her two children and her husband Eddie (Daniel Mays), she is little more than a passive bystander at first but when Connie (Geraldine James), the factory’s union representative, decides that she can no longer cope with the responsibility whilst also looking after her ill husband George (Roger Lloyd-Pack), Rita finds herself somewhat reluctantly obtaining the position. Tired of working in impoverished conditions and getting payed less than men for despite being just as skilled, and spurred on by fellow worker Albert (Bob Hoskins), Rita unites the girls of the factory – among them Brenda (Andrea Riseborough) and Sandra (Jaime Winstone) – in all out strike not only at their factory but at other factories across the country. Rita even finds help in the form of unlikely ally Lisa Hopkins (Rosamund Pike), who happens to be married to one of Rita’s bosses. With humour and courage they take on their corporate paymasters Peter Hopkins (Rupert Graves) and Robert Tooley (Richard Schiff), an increasingly belligerent local community, and finally the government itself. Rita’s fiery temper and often hilarious unpredictability proves to be a match for any of her male opponents, and is echoed by Secretary of State Barbara Castle’s (Miranda Richardson) struggle in the male-dominated House of Commons.

From a technical standpoint it is hard to find any fault with Made in Dagenham. Its representation of 1968 Britain is totally authentic with every visual detail creating a true to life representation of the period, the fashion styles of the time being captured perfectly in the costume design and hairstyles, locations and sets looking just like they would have at the time, and everything from cars to television sets that feature looking exactly true to the period. The use of real archive footage – prominently at the beginning of the film and in the closing credits of the film, where we get to see the real women who inspired this story – along with real news footage and content from children’s show Sooty on a television in one scene also really help establish the feel of time and place. Of course, the music that features is also a good representation of the period, even though less is made of the soundtrack than in other similar films and the writing also provides an accurate reflection of the time, dialogue sounding true to the era and the plot sticking pretty close to real events, even though it is clear that some dramatic licence has been taken to liven things up. Liven things up, however, is a phrase I use very loosely as this film is not the most exciting or amusing film dealing with this kind of subject matter. Some will no doubt hold great appreciation for this film’s somewhat clinical approach to presenting events – the word ‘dramatisation’ not being too far from the truth on occasions – but others looking for a laugh will be disappointed that while there seems to be some attempt to make this film as much a comedy as a dramatisation, laughs are somewhat lacking, some humorous moments featuring now and then but by and large the film not being especially funny. Also, the pace is a bit plodding at times, failing to really hold the attention throughout. This, however, will depend on your personal taste in films and the target audience – primarily women and older viewers – will enjoy it a whole lot more. As a drama, in fact, the film works a lot better with plentiful character development creating a wide range of different character types, each of the women being unique even as they stand united and the human drama surrounding them often proves moving and even heartbreaking, their situations being sad but all too real. The success of this character based stuff is as much attributable to the acting as it is the writing and direction though. Featuring a who’s who of big British stars, the acting is uniformly excellent even though not everyone features as much as you might expect, notably Rosamund Pike (who was prominently listed in marketing for the film), who is very good as a smart woman who has progressive points of view, and Roger Lloyd Pack. Sally Hawkins is as lovely as ever and her transformation from shy and reluctant bystander to brave and outgoing heroine is completely convincing. Miranda Richardson is also excellent as a strong and forceful woman who makes herself heard. Geraldine James portrays the perfect level of emotion in the role of an increasingly strained woman on whom the harshness of life is taking its toll. Jaime Winstone is perfectly glamorous for the part with which she is bestowed. And Bob Hoskins is also excellent as you would expect. If nothing else, the film can be commended for the quality of acting on display. Overall, Made in Dagenham is a film that is made very well but that sometimes feels a bit too much like a dramatisation. A bit more humour could really have made it stand out more but as it is it is still a film that will be appreciated very much by its target audience and is a welcome addition to a list of British working class movies like The Full Monty and Brassed Off.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

I Love Somebody with Autism *****

“Open your eyes. And experience the magic. I will get there when you believe.” These are the words that open I Love Somebody with Autism, another delightful homemade movie about Autism, this time relating more specifically to one person with the condition – a young boy called Jonathan, whose imagination is very much the subject of this film.
The film is essentially just a sequence of images set against the rather delightful music of Mariah Carey’s When You Believe but there is something really magical about the way it has been put together. The film isn’t so much trying to put a wider message across as show how gifted and artistic Jonathan is, the film consisting of drawings that he has done (even opening with his own versions of movie studio idents for Disney, Paramount and THX) intermingled with some photos of himself making some of his artistic creations. There is real passion on display in the images and the film successfully puts across that Autism isn’t all bad for Jonathan, presenting him with gifts as well as difficulties. The film is very well edited and put together and the chosen music is a perfect accompanying piece. Simply put, I Love Somebody with Autism is a delightful short film and one that, while being about Jonathan, is relevant to anyone with Autism as such gifts and abilities can be found in any individual diagnosed with the condition and a greater recognition of the positives that come from Autism as opposed to all the negatives is something that the world could really do with developing.

The closing words from the film that appear below say everything that needs to said. Jonathan isn’t viewed as a burden by his family but rather a unique individual who should be treasured not excluded.

“To our dearest Jonathan.

We are so proud of you despite your disability you’re among the luckiest special child with gifted artistic hands & an excellent photography memory.

You will have difficulty expressing yourself but your work of art speaks for you…
I know someday your prayers will be heard because you are Blessed and God loves you dearly.

We all wish you a HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

We Love You,

Papa, Mama, Joan & Joshua.”

I Love Somebody with Autism can be viewed in full here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPoKVsw1I9Y

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Buried ***½

Just a few weeks ago we had the supernatural thriller Devil in which most of the events took place in the extremely confined setting of a trapped elevator. If that wasn’t confined enough a setting for you, however, then prepare for Buried, a film set entirely within the confines of a coffin buried six feet (this is a film that brings whole new meaning to the term “six feet under”)
beneath the desert of Iraq and which features just one character in a solitary struggle to survive an inescapable situation. It may not be the most original of concepts – after all, the whole buried alive thing has been done numerous times before in TV shows such as Alias, Bones, CSI and Monk among other things – but the approach taken here does provide a fresh spin on the idea. More comparable to the 2003 Colin Farrell starring thriller Phone Booth than Devil given that is a real world thriller, as opposed to a supernatural one, Buried is brought to the screen by Spanish director Rodrigo Cortés and is preceded by a barrage of incredible reviews. But can a film that is just 94 minutes spent entirely inside a coffin with only one character really be as good as it is being made out to be?

Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) is an American contractor working in danger-filled Iraq. A devoted husband and family man, his life takes an unexpected turn for the worst when he wakes one day to find that he has been kidnapped. Horrifically, Paul’s prison is a wooden crate buried six feet underground – and he has only a mobile phone and a lighter to help him make sense of his predicament. With poor reception, a battery that’s on its last legs, and an oxygen supply that’s diminishing with every breath, Paul has just 90 minutes to get to the bottom of why he’s there, procure whatever it is his kidnappers want, and finally – hopefully – secure his own freedom.

One thing that can definitely be said about Buried is that Ryan Reynolds completely carries it. Of course, he has to carry the film, though, as he is literally the only person in it, the only other ‘characters’ that feature being disembodied voices we hear coming through the speaker of the mobile phone. And carry it he does with this being perhaps his best performance yet, one that should quell any doubt anyone may have about his acting abilities and that is far removed from his past comedic roles as he could possibly get. His portrayal is completely believable, his reactions to the horrifying situation he is facing never failing to convince and his interactions with other ‘characters’ who don’t seem to care about him, only covering their own asses, are almost heartbreaking at times, this being a film that says something about the way things really are in the world – if you’re taken hostage but aren’t anyone special it is very likely that no one will actually do anything to help you. As excellent as Reynolds is in the role, however, this film is not exactly one of the best you will ever see. The limited setting and lack of outside perspective (something that was present in both Phone Booth and Devil) – aside from the voices at the other end of the phone calls – mean that this is not as engrossing or enthralling a film as you might hope for and to some it will undoubtedly seem rather boring. Significant chunks of the film take place in the dark, the only light sources being the lighter and the mobile phone and later a faulty torch and some glow sticks, and understandably this makes for a film that has limited visual appeal. That said, the cinematography is very good in spite of the limited lighting and camera angles available and there is some real creativity on display in terms of what we see – when we see anything of course. After the opening credits (which are rather stylish) have rolled, the screen actually stays dark for a minute or two and it almost seems like nothing is happening until the sound of breathing can be heard and starts getting louder and louder. Sound is used to pretty good effect here and is a crucial tool considering how much of the film takes place in almost complete darkness and that when there is light it is still pretty dark. And in spite of the major limitations resulting from the premise there is an almost surprising amount of tension, the level of suspense being almost unbearable at times and the level of emotion portrayed being just as harrowing. This is a very claustrophobic viewing experience, something that makes it all the more easier to empathise with the central character even though we don’t really know all that much about him and it is this sense of claustrophobia that is the true root of the tension and what really makes the film work. One and a half hours of just a man trapped in a coffin may not sound like a particularly engaging viewing experience and it isn’t completely so but Buried is nonetheless a film that may well surprise you and that shows off just how great an actor Ryan Reynolds is. Just bear in mind that this is not happy movie with a happy ending and if you don’t want to feel claustrophobic yourself this may not be a film for you.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Back to the Future 25th Anniversary Re-Release *****

Boy, does time fly. It really is hard to believe that it has been 25 years since Back to the Future was originally released on the big screen – and this is coming from someone who hadn’t even been born back in 1985. One of the great all time classic Hollywood blockbusters, this is one of those films that helped to define a generation and, in much the same way that the late 70s belonged to Star Wars
, it could certainly be said that the mid 80s belonged to Back to the Future. Now, to celebrate its 25th Anniversary (which, incidentally couldn’t have fallen on a better year, given that 80s retro is very much right now), the folks at Universal Pictures, are re-releasing it in cinemas, digitally remastered to make it look all new and shiny once again. An opportunity to see a true classic of Hollywood cinema on the big screen once again in all its digital glory is a rare thing nowadays so what are you waiting for – it’s time you saw Back to the Future.

Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is a normal 1980s American teenager who spends his days slacking off, playing guitar with his band, trying to spend time alone with his girlfriend Jennifer (Claudia Wells) and hanging out with eccentric scientist Doctor Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd). His life becomes very complicated, however, when he finds himself transported back to the year 1955, thanks to a nuclear-powered DeLorean car converted for time travel by the Doc. Realising that the much younger version of Doc Brown is the only person who can help him get home, he meets him for the first time all over again and together they set in motion a plan to get Marty back to the future. However, Marty must make himself as inconspicuous as possible, something that turns out to be completely impossible when he not only gets in the way of the first meeting of his parents Lorraine (Lea Thompson) and George (Crispin Glover) but finds that his mother has taken a liking to him and that he has made an enemy of the very same bully who is making George’s life a living hell – Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson). With time running out to get home, Marty must now put things back the way they before or face never being born and find that there is no future for him to get back to.

Few Hollywood blockbusters have made a more lasting cultural impression than Back to the Future, it not only being a film that that has inspired, been parodied by and referenced in many films and TV shows over the years but also one that is fondly remembered by many movie fans and still enjoyed by many more people even today. It truly is one of the greatest Hollywood blockbusters ever made and the Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Re-Release has not changed a thing, this not being a so-called ‘special edition’ like many re-releases of other classic blockbusters but rather the original unadulterated movie, the only difference being that it has been digitally remastered and is presented in crisp clear digital quality, something that makes it almost look like it was only just made this year as opposed to 25 years ago. What makes the film so great? Well, the short answer is – pretty much everything. This film is from director Robert Zemeckis’ heyday, long before he sold his soul to motion capture animation and a time when he made movies that were truly vibrant, fun and memorable (something which can’t really be said about his most recent movies, with the possible exception of The Polar Express) and this film is easily one of his best. And, after twenty five years, the film has lost none of its magic. The visual effects may seem dated when compared with those in many (but by no means all) modern blockbusters but they still have a quaint charm and have stood the test of time far better than you might expect. And in one key area the film manages to really hold its own against modern effects with the practical aging effects used in the 1985 scenes to make Christopher Lloyd, Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson and Thomas F. Wilson appears 30 years older being impressive even now, showing that practical effects can sometimes deliver results that are just as good as, if not better than, computer generated ones. The film also maintains its authentic look, feel and sound of the America of both the mid 1980s (obviously, as it was filmed then) and the mid 1950s, with sets, costumes, cars, props and pretty much everything creating the setting perfectly, providing a genuine sense of time and place, and a fantastic soundtrack featuring the very best American pop music of both periods. The cultural references to both periods also make this a perfect film for those looking to go on a nostalgia trip. Such references are very much a part of the genius of the film, being as much a part of it as the plot or characters, unlike in modern movies where they are often thrown in for the sake of it. For the avid viewer, there are also lots of great little touches and details, the kind of things that add a whole extra level of enjoyment for those who watch really closely. This is particularly evident in the ingenious and inventive ways the past (i.e. 1955) and the present (i.e. 1985) come together, the time travel element being masterfully handled and the metaphysics of time travel being explained in a simple and effective way without ever seeming dumbed down. The writing in general is also excellent with fantastic dialogue that takes full advantage of the opportunities created by having the film set in two contrastingly different time periods, a plot that is smart, engaging and amusing, making the most of all the awkward situations that Marty finds himself in, lots of genuinely funny laugh out loud moments – the film is still hilarious 25 years on – and characters that are vibrant, multi layered and that we really do give a damn about. Of course, the success of this aspect of the film can also be attributed to the strength of the performers, every one of whom is excellent. Michael J. Fox is simply superb, making his slacker character seem effortlessly cool, being incredibly entertaining and also entirely believable at the same time, particularly in his completely convincing reactions to some of the awkward situations his character finds himself in. What’s more, in one of the film’s most iconic scenes – this is a film that delivers one iconic scene after another – he even shows that he is pretty good singer as well. Christopher Lloyd is perfectly eccentric and over the top (but not too over the top), delivering perhaps the ultimate portrayals of a mad scientist, a performance against which any other actors portraying mad scientist roles since can really be compared. Elsewhere, Lea Thompson shows a great acting range, managing to switch from completely innocent to not so innocent with the greatest of ease while Crispin Glover’s transformation from shy and wimpy to brave and heroic is completely believable and the two actors go so well together that we never doubt that their characters are meant to be together. Additionally, Thomas F. Wilson both makes for a completely convincing bully, perfectly fitting the image of what a 1950s school bully might be like, and also a believably tamer individual that we see at the end of the film. The supporting performers are also excellent, among them Claudia Wells, who shares a good chemistry with Fox, James Tolkan, who plays school principal Mr. Strickland, Marc McClure, who plays Marty’s brother Dave and Wendy Jo Sperber, who plays his sister Linda. And, not to forget, perhaps the most iconic star of the film – the DeLorean, easily the most iconic time machine ever seen on the big screen and a film that almost has a screen presence all of its own. So, all in all, Back to the Future is a film that still has it. It is still exciting. It is still hilarious. It is still memorable. Both a perfect nostalgia trip for older viewers and an enjoyable viewing experience for younger ones, this is a true classic of cinema and coming from someone who really likes modern blockbusters, this will really mean something – they don’t make them like this anymore.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)