Ladies in Black

A profound seductive film. For the lovely chemistry between Julia Ormond and Vincent Perez. For Angourie Rice reminding a young Sylvia Plath. For the humor and nostalgic nuances. For the clash between two different worlds and for a form of delicate ingenuity. Short, just a beautiful film.

Today mum and I saw Ladies in Black.....when asked what she thought mum said "Delightful", no swearing, no sex, no violence, just a delightful movie........and she was correct.

The movie is set in the late 50s in Sydney and tells the story of Lisa who takes a summer job in Goode's department store. We meet all the 'Ladies in Black' and the story unfolds from here.

I loved seeing how Sydney looked in the late 50s and loved the fashion and style. They certainly knew how to dress back then and looked fabulous even when having dinner in a restaurant or going to visit friends for a lunch.

The young girl played by Angourie Rice was a pleasure to watch on the screen as was Rachael Taylor. I also loved Julia Ormond, Shane Jacobson, Noni Hazlehurst and Susie Porter.

Kudos to my friend Margaret Gill who has her name on the credits and did a lot of the sewing for Julia and Angourie's outfits. Well done to you I say!

If you are after a nice feel good, easy to watch movie this is the one for you. Mum rated it 8 out of 10, and Im giving it 7

Our family moved to Sydney in late 1959. We lived in Tempe, and the trams came down the Nepean Highway to the depot not far from our house. Not long afterwards, the trams were sadly replaced by buses.

My first job was in a typing pool, and I bought a black dress with a white collar - a popular work dress at that time. Some of the details in the film really brought back that time to me.

I loved the fact that the film depicted people who liked cultural pursuits such as reading and classical music. When I lived in Sydney, there were some free concerts of classical music at the Sydney Town Hall, and quite a few of my acquaintances went along.

Some of my male friends had surfboards, and went surfing regularly on the weekend. I didn't know any females with surfboards - I don't think that was very common at that time. There was a beach scene in the film, which brought back memories of that time.

I loved the fact that there was a lovely scene of the Blue Mountains. It was a popular place for Sydney people to go for a holiday, especially in winter when they could sit near an open fireplace. In summer we usually went to the beach.

The actors in the film were well-chosen and I really related to the whole film. In fact, I didn't want it to finish. It was great to see an Australian film which doesn't show us as living in the outback, and which shows some positive friendships with European immigrants. Also good to see a film which doesn't rely on the shock value of violence. The sort of people who want to see fast-moving violent films will not find this film to their taste, but I think it could be interesting to a wide audience.

It was evident from the onset the 'Ladies in Black' nostalgic journey back to Sydney circa 1959 would not disappoint. The visual production and period content made it so appealing to watch.

A bookish schoolgirl and a fashion department manager from different backgrounds were pivotal characters for the narrative of change from the status quo. The dual storyline of a new girl entering the workforce and evolving into adulthood alongside a country evolving with new Australians from Europe . The embracement of these two characters and their positive influence on others around them complimented the awakening of new attitudes from those prevailing at the time. A passage of time handled with humour and contrast.

The film achieved its intention with a great cast. A light-hearted approach of an era some of us remember with characters that can be identified with. Above all, a visual delight to enjoy and be entertained.

I loved this movie! It doesn't pull its punches but it isn't a social commentary film, at all. It's kind of a "warts and all" depiction of changing attitudes in 1959 Australia. Adapted from a best selling novel, it won the 2018 Australian "Oscars" (AACTA) awards for Original Score, Lead Actress, Costumes and Hair and Makeup. Great cast, authentic characters, slice of life storytelling. I give this movie an enthusiastic 9 (superb) out of 10. {Optimistic Drama}