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.

The talented cast and the interesting subject matter were Made in Dagenham's selling points, and Made in Dagenham doesn't disappoint. Sure it is formulaic and the opposition is not as well-developed or as interesting as the machinists(Kenneth Cranham's character is a little one-dimensional),otherwise it is a terrific film that is as successful in comedy as it is in drama and balances both very well.

Made in Dagenham's production values are superb, the 1960s setting and period detail is remarkably vivid and it's beautifully shot. The catchy soundtrack also excels in bringing the 60s to life and nothing came over as misplaced. Nigel Cole's direction is never too flashy and never simplistic and always assured, technically accomplished and with the ability to tell a story with heart and that's always engaging. There is a great story here, while it is formulaic the balance of comedy, how it handles its subject with such truth and no one-sided-ness and drama and mix of gritty social history make it always interesting and more than makes up for that. The ending is very uplifting and affecting, and it is easy for identify with the machinists and their struggles every step of the way.

The film's very intelligently scripted, with the subject matter dealt with insightfully and with tension and the dialogue is hilariously entertaining in the comedy and genuinely touching in the drama. I also found the characters compelling and easy to relate to, but if there is one asset that was especially good in Made in Dagenham it was the acting. Sally Hawkins is a revelation in the lead role and she is brilliantly supported by a scene-stealing Miranda Richardson, a movingly sympathetic Bob Hoskins, a funny and moving Rosamund Pike in one of her better performances, a sleazy Kenneth Cranham and a heart-wrenching Roger Lloyd Pack et al. All in all, a terrific film with even better acting. 9/10 Bethany Cox

It's 1968. Ford of Britain has one of the biggest car plant in Dagenham exporting to the rest of Europe. It employs 55k, 187 of them women. The women are seamstresses sewing car seat covers. The working conditions are bad and then the company wants to downgrade their work as unskilled. Union rep Albert Passingham (Bob Hoskins) advises them an one-day stoppage. Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins) becomes the leader of the group. It escalates to a full strike demanding equal pay for equal work. Everybody condescends to the ladies except for Passingham who was raised by a single mom. The union negotiator wants to collaborate with Ford. The plant shuts down and the men are unhappy. The Labour government is facing rampant strikes and declining production. They call in fixer Robert Tooley (Richard Schiff) to put pressure on the girls. Secretary of State for Employment Barbara Castle (Miranda Richardson) sees both the injustice and the dangers of losing jobs. Meanwhile, Rita finds an allie in fellow parent Lisa Hopkins (Rosamund Pike) when their kids face an abusive teacher.

This is Norma Rae on steroids. It's a rousing fight for equality. Sally Hawkins is simply amazing. She is one of the best out there. Her humanity is absolutely non-negotiable. There are several unforgettable scenes and characters. Her relationship with Lisa Hopkins is truly touching and one scene between them is heart-breaking. Rita and her husband have another incredible scene. The amiable and well-meaning husband is nicely played by Daniel Mays. Their big confrontation has a powerful conclusion. Overall, this is a rousing union movie with an amazing lead performance.