~I, Daniel Blake Ken Loach at his finest, this movie is real and raw and guaranteed to make your blood boil at the excruciating Catch-22 the main character finds himself in. Daniel Blake is a 59 year old widowed carpenter recovering from a heart attack. Doctors say he is not able to go back to work, the government begs to differ and denies his benefits. Yes, it’s sad. Yes, it’s bleak. Yes, it’s depressing. But what makes it all bearable is that Daniel is real and authentic and deeply kind and passionate, as witnessed by the (platonic) relationship he slowly develops with young mother Katie and her two children. Two heroes of the real world trying to make their way in the soul destroying face of life’s injustices while standing up and fighting for their dignity. No doubt about it, this is not the easiest film to watch and at the end your heart will shatter into a million tiny pieces. But it is worth it.
~Made in Dagenham Cute as a button Sally Hawkins stars as Rita O’Grady, one of many women sewing the car interior upholstery for the Ford motor company in Dagenham, England. When the women are downgraded from semi-skilled to unskilled status so Ford can pay them less, discontent bubbles up and over and the women go on strike demanding equal pay with the fellas. The women catch the eye of British Labour Secretary Barbara Castle and ultimately the Equal Pay Act of 1970 is written into law, although not without dragging along a lot of cranky men and children. Bob Hoskins has a wonderful turn as the plant manager who champions the women’s cause, egging them on when they think about throwing in the towel. Unlike I, Daniel Blake this is a feisty film with lots of cheeky wit and a zippy soundtrack.
~Billy Elliott In Northern England, Billy Elliott is the son of a miner who’s supposed to be taking boxing classes but somehow lands himself in a girl’s ballet class only to discover that not only does he enjoy it, but he’s actually pretty good at it. It’s 1984 and toxic masculinity runs rampant in Billy’s small mining town, so you can only imagine what his father and brother have to say about such a girly pursuit. It’s set against the tense backdrop of striking miners in a town overrun with police who are there to keep the peace. Jaime Bell is just brilliant as Billy in a feel good movie full of heart, soul and fabulous ’80’s music.
~Pirate Radio OK, so maybe the teensiest stretch for social issues but I’m including it because thousands of music lovers would disagree. In 1966 the British government banned rock and roll from being played on the radio, so a motley crew of DJ’s took to the sea (strategically placing themselves in international waters beyond the reach of the British government) and blasted British rock over the airwaves to the delight of teens (and plenty of adults) everywhere. Basically this movie is about a group of men who have never grown up, living on a boat – so, lots of sex, crassness and puerile behaviour. Adding a little gravitas are Kenneth Brannagh as a stony faced killjoy of a government official trying to shut the boats down, Philip Seymour Hoffman as the American who starts it all and Bill Nighy as an aging rocker who’s brilliant as always – because that’s all he knows. There’s a bit of a plot in there somewhere but generally this is an exuberant, mood bolstering movie with yet another killer soundtrack.
~Vera Drake Mike Leigh directs which means this is social commentary at its best. A quiet movie set in the 1950’s about how a family reacts when the police come knocking on the door one afternoon because, well, it turns out mum has been performing abortions on the side for local women with unwanted pregnancies. Imelda Staunton stars as Vera who is lovely and kind and, as it turns out, a little naive. But there is also a parallel story of a young middle class girl who is raped and ultimately is given access to an abortion in a clinic. Two worlds, two outcomes. Beautifully written and with a cast of some of Britain’s best actors.
~Pride Based on the 1984 true life events of a London based gay and lesbian activist group who decide to support striking Welsh miners in a show of solidarity against common enemies: Margaret Thatcher, tabloid media and the police. Although the miners are grateful for support, when the London group hop on a bus and go and visit, they are met with varying degrees of homophobia and hostility. As they get to know one another, barriers are broken down, laughs are had and friendships are made. It flirts with mawkishness but it’s real and uplifting and filled with a boisterous, campy energy. It also has lots of well-known actors: Imelda Staunton and Bill Nighy (again) and, if you’re a Fleabag fan, you’ll recognize hot priest, Andrew Scott as well as Dominic West. It’s hard to beat a movie about the invincibility of the human spirit and coming together across the divide and this one will have you laughing – until you reach the end when you’ll be grabbing for a box of tissues.
~A United Kingdom The inspiring, real life story of Seretse Khama, heir to the Kingdom of Bechuanaland (later Botswana) who on the eve of returning to his country to claim the throne, meets and falls in love with Ruth Williams, a white office worker. When he proposes, not only does her father scorn the match, but he sets off an international crisis. This is 1948 and South Africa is about to roll out apartheid and the British government has its sights set on the country’s diamonds. A mixed race couple governing a country doesn’t sit well with, well, not with anyone really. After they marry and he takes her home to his own family, they too are furious. But, in this case at least, it turns out that the arrogance of colonialism and the ignorance of racism are no match for true love, especially when Ruth’s indomitable spirit wins over the people of her new country.
