Ladies In Black

2018 • 109 minutes

About this movie

Set in the summer of 1959, when the impact of European migration and the rise of women’s liberation is about to change Australia forever, Lisa, aged sixteen, takes a holiday job at the prestigious Sydney department store, Goodes. There she meets the “ladies in black,” when she is assigned to assist sales ladies Patty and Fay. Beguiled and influenced by Magda, the vivacious manager of the high-fashion boutique Model Gowns, Lisa is awakened to a world of possibilities. As she grows from a bookish schoolgirl into a glamorous and positive young woman, the impact they have on each other will change all their lives.

Ratings and reviews

This was just a beautifully filmed movie. The plot and pace hearkened to a simpler life, when people were not complicated nor thought themselves particularly sophisticated; however, the characters remain authentic and sincere. Throughout the movie, there are some trials and tribulations but family and community are showcased. Togetherness is where joy is found - - people coming together to build each other up instead of tear each other down. I wish more movies were like this and helped me to escape to somewhere else and left me feeling uplifted. I appreciated the gentleness and patience that the director took to develop the story line and move the characters along. This was a nice movie to find.

The romance between the thirty something shop girl and the Australian immigrant is lovely. The growth and wonder of the main character is a little simplistic but sweet. Julie Ormond is wonderful as an immigrant coming to terms with her new life in Australia and her support of the new "shop girl". It was a nice, sweet, hour and forty-five minutes; I smiled throughout, and felt uplifted after. Like a bowl of sherbert on a hot summer day. Need a good afternoon movie - Ladies in Black is the answer.

A lovely film! Snippets of lives intersecting with a common thread in days gone by. Though the story lacks a strong theme, it does talk to modern times with prejudices based on lack of knowledge of other cultures and emigration. The general idea of embracing change through communication and telling personal stories show they are more alike than they are different from one another. A fun little watch.