one of my absolute favorites!

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Even when under Nazi guard in a detention center, these women gather together to fight, scheme, laugh, love and entertain-all for the purpose of getting three British soldiers who crash-landed near their temporary home to safety. This enjoyable drama of a different type of resistance features a diverse variety of characters-flirtatious, bitchy, noble, older and wiser, dizzy, and even betrayers like the oh-so-plucky butch floor leader who is actually a Nazi informer. Lead by legendary British actresses Phyllis Calvert and Flora Robson, this patriotic flag-waver is a salute to the women left alone while their men fought or were already victims of the Nazi evil. Robson as a no-nonsense spinster unafraid to stand up to the Nazis gives a memorable performance especially when facing the threat of being shipped to Germany for alerting the British Air Force to the compound during an air raid. There are many moments of great satisfaction that these women have in either fooling or harassing the Nazis, particularly one when they have a house meeting with one of the men in attendance in drag.

I recently stumbled upon this film on Channel 4. Thankfully I only missed the first ten minutes as it turned out to be a most enjoyable film.If you're reading this review then you have most probably seen the movie so a synopsis is not needed.All I really have to say is that the mainly female cast is absolutely superb. I defy anyone to pick out a single performance that stands out from the rest. Phyllis Calvert, Patricia Roc, Thora Hird..the excellent cast just oozes British actresses who went on to even greater performances.The only thing that let's this film down are the actors who play the British soldiers. Whilst they are good, I found them maybe a little too old for the parts.All in all though, it is a splendid film. If a remake were made today, it could boast an amazing cast of todays British talent.I checked IMDb after watching this film and sadly, most of the cast are with us no more. It is as a tribute to them that I write this little review.

While I could see a few plot problems here and there, this British propaganda film did a good job of rallying the folks at home for the war effort. It begins in France just after the fall of the country (summer 1942). While you rarely hear about them, naturally some British citizens got stranded in the country and could not make it back to the UK. This film concerns British women who were interred by the Germans in a rather nice and luxurious hotel. While I have no idea how the Germans actually treated such women, I doubt if they were as nice and lax as they were in the film. This is a rare case where the Nazis portrayed in the propaganda film seemed nicer than the real thing--usually it's the other way around! The film initially is about these women adjusting to their new home and it took a strange turn when three British airmen were shot down and actually sought refuge with the women! The idea of them being able to just sneak in to this guarded facility seemed hard to believe. However, because the acting was very good as well as the direction and script, it seemed to work well. Despite a good job, there were a few sour notes. One was that when the prisoners or escaped fliers fought with Nazis, the bad guys had a very convenient habit of NOT crying out for help when they were attacked!! The other was late in the film when one woman went from loving one of the fliers to turning him in to the Nazis with incredible speed--it made no sense and seemed quite contrived. Still, the film generally underplayed the drama and was otherwise pretty convincing.For a somewhat similar plot but better handled is Claudette Colbert's "Three Came Home"--which is based on a real American woman's experience in a Japanese internment camp.

All those women are confined in a remarkably luxurious German internment camp without male company. What a waste, as so many of them seem to have film star looks and wardrobes to match. So what better spot for some British airforce chaps to seek refuge? Seriously now folks, those British boys must be helped to escape at once. But it's awfully hot in here don't you think, perhaps I'll just take a bath...After a slow and rather class-conscious opening, the story develops into a stylish, sometimes funny and often sexy battle of wits against the usual hapless German guards and the occasional informer. Along the way, the camera lingers wistfully on every stockinged thigh and lacy bosom, but somehow everyone manages to keep thinking of England – at least some of the time.A top cast of female leads.