User reviews

This is the true story of Clarice Cliff, a British pottery artist in the 1920's who beat the odds by rising from humble beginnings in the North of England in an industry dominated by men, to establish her own brand of ceramics to appeal to women that is still sold today.

Phoebe Dynevor is well cast as Clarice as is Matthew Goode as the upper class factory owner and David Morrissey as her boss. I had no idea who Clarice Cliff was and had no interest in the subject matter but it is such a well made drama that I found myself getting more and more absorbed into the story thanks to Claire McCathy's competent direction and swift pacing. You find yourself rooting for Clarice and balk at the blatant sexism that went on in those days and the courage Clarice faced to overcome the prevailing attitudes.

It reminded me of Made in Dagenham (2010) which was another true story about women in the Ford car plant making a stand against sexual discrimination in the work place. The Colour Room is more than that, it's about believing in yourself and never giving up on your dreams and if you have a passion for something you will find a way to overcome obstacles that stand in your way.

When we meet her, Clarice Cliff is a young, ambitious pottery worker who flits from company to company in order to gain as much experience within different departments as possible - at the time it was not unusual for someone to specialise one particular task for their entire working life. Clarice is ambitious and talented, but her talent has yet to be discovered.

Claire McCarthy's, The Colour Room is the story of the rise of Clarice and her struggle to have her talent recognised.

She is ably played by Phoebe Dynevor, best known as one of the main characters in the Netflix hit, Bridgerton. Dynevor imbues Clarice with vivacity, wit and charm, and her ambition is portrayed as enthusiasm and passion.

Opposite her, Matthew Goode gives us his generic but still very watchable posh chap in the part of factory owner and lover, Colley Short.

Solid support comes from Kerry Fox as Clarice's mother and David Morrissey, rather underused as the company's art director who takes Clarice under his wing.

The screenplay is by Claire Peate who takes some liberties with the story - five of Clarice's six siblings seem to have evaporated and the success of her first range of pottery, the famous 'Bizarre' ware, central to this story, was pretty much instant rather than the uphill struggle we see. However, Peate gives the story contemporary relevance by emphasising the struggle of a woman trying to break into man's world - one co-worker who is suspicious of her being brought in to apprentice in the all-male modelling department voices his misgivings with "What if she's one of them suffragettes?". This could be the story of any woman trying to break through the glass, or in this case, ceramic ceiling.

Elsewhere, the adulterous nature of Clarice's relationship with Colley is rather played down, with Colley's wife scarcely making an appearance in case, one assumes, we start to develop any sympathies for her.

The cinematography and art direction are attractive with Clarice presaging her later ceramics in the colours of her clothes. However, the CGI scenes of ranks of bottle kilns belching smoke into the sky are somewhat unconvincing.

Undemanding, but with enough to keep the audience engaged, this straightforward biopic earns a respectable seven and makes for a decent, Sunday night movie to round off a weekend.

This is Such a fromalic basic film that is hard to believe its a true story ..for a start..the real lady wasn't a beauty by any standard..choosing an actress that is more of the plain side would at least give it that REAL feel ..think the wonderful film (Séraphine ) and how believable it was... also the authentic period piece feel was missing ..and the love story forced and unbelievable...the feminist tone also feels forced like its the case in most of the new productions...its a watchable film that feels like a standard bbc production which isnt a bad thing for a period film lover.

The Colour Room follows the journey of a determined, working class woman, Clarice Cliff, as she breaks the glass ceiling and revolutionises the workplace in the 20th century.

Like many I was unsure what to expect from this film, but after soaking it up in one sitting I can say I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Pheobe Dynevor is the perfect, pretty-young-bright thing to carry off the part of Clarice Cliff and she exudes energy and positivity on the screen. She appears to be a model for aspiring women and certainly that's how she comes across when you read her life story.

I am so glad that they did not pursue a raunchy love affair between Colley Shorter (played by Matthew Goode) and Clarice Cliff. Because this would have cheapened the story which is not about sex. It's about self belief, perseverance, not being told when to stop and not giving up.

Whether you are a woman or not you can still take away from this film the positive vibes and the decision making that propels some people to greatness.

I loved this film and gave this a solid 6.

Really enjoyed the 20s feeling of the movie, the desire for Clarice to do what she loved and ignoring a bit what was around her to get there including the « rules » and what was right at the time. The scene in the modelling workshop are creating that atmosphere between the men and her, their respect of the rules and her creativity.

She was a revolutionary of that after war era and the movie really depicts how different she was by the use of colours or the way she smiles.

Although there is a romance it doesn't take over the story and Matthew Goode is a strong character passionate about his business and being bold. Phoebe Dynevor is a great Clarice Cliff.

Great script, cast and direction.

We loved this movie about a true pottery pioneer who revolutionised the Potteries and also used to visit my granny every Sunday to grind coffee!

Glad to see local landmarks and buildings were used

Great acting by all the actors.

Saw this advertised on sky and thought I'd give it a try. My wife thought it would be boring but watched it anyway. As a thirty year old I always used to go to antique auction and Clarice cliff always came up for sale and made good money. A great insight into the origins of Clarice cliff and how Stoke became the heart of pottery making. Watch the film, don't over think the story and just enjoy it.

And other keetchy kitchen cuttlery designed and made in the 1920's royal imperial kingdom of great britain, a biographical drama about one of the first trendsetting women industrial designers that made psychedellic colours become trendy and the number one among wedding gifts of the times, and a collectors item of today.

Its a beautiful made film, sharp and colourfilled but at the same time blurred out in a positive way, with a great deal of positive charged acting makes this a film that is a must see if your within the art crafts, or just a hobby potterer, or a china painter as my mum did(can still smell the american therpentine) many years ago, because this is for your eyes only if you want it to be.

An appraisive thanks to sky studios and.co. That has made such a delightfull story come to life, its gentle, periodical and feministic. The grumpy old man recommends.

Would have liked to see more about Clarice's family life and friendships amongst the women who worked in the potteries. Apparently she came from a big family but we only saw her mother and sister. There was a very half hearted attempt to suggest romance between Cliff and Colley Storer. In fact they married. It was interesting to see how Cliff was inspired by colours and shapes and the processes behind producing fine china. The demographics for the potteries in the 1920s was not represented correctly there were too many ethnic minorities. A historical docudrama should try and reflect the period not modern day demographics.

"No man can appreciate and produce beautiful things whose sense of color is outraged every day by the dirt and soot that covers everything"

Pottery Gazette, 1919.

"The Colour Room" chronicles the life and work of English potter Clarice Cliff. A period drama that links the "romantic" 1920s with the story of a woman capable of overcoming her ingenuity in the face of any adversity.

Starring Phoebe Dynevor, in her film debut. "The color room", interposes Clarice's creativity, with the industrialized and misogynistic world of that time; Added to the charismatic performances, this film has all the nuances that are required to build a quite believable and entertaining story.

"Because of the heart of the story and its loving interpretations, "The Colour Room" is a very fine piece of pottery"

I really enjoyed this film,knowing nothing about the character,or the biographical details.great cast well filmed should get a larger release,but alas bigger budgeted films get presidence at the multiplex.hopefully the more independent cinemas might give it a run if you haven't got the Netflix app.

Cliff had a fascinating life, and rather than a 90 minute film, it would have been ideal as a 'Season' on Netflix to give us the meat and bones of her journey to being one of the most famous designers in Pottery - (although clearly some had never heard of her !!)

I thought Phoebe Dynevore was badly miscast - (a case of a young actress gaining fame in a fantasy period drama (Bridgerton), then being offered parts because of this). There was a lot of jumping and skipping about at the beginning, and no empathy at all when she caused the sacking of a colleague. Supporting actors were good - because they had experience - and Matthew Goode is always excellent - but again the background stories disappeared into the ether.

This was a story set in the early 1920s so authenticity with regards set dressings and costume was highly regarded, however its hard to believe that a person of colour would have been employed as a Secretary in the owners office during that period of history. Colour blind casting can work in many instances, but in period dramas not so much.

I am probably not in the target demographic but sat back on a Friday evening and really enjoyed it. Does what it sets out to do very well, which too many films fail to do.

But it can still be messed up. But it feels blue collar. There are those who might not want to hear this, but women tend to handle the nuances of a story better than men. Women dominate this production. And it shows. It's not messed up.

In film so often, male artists are portrayed as serious, obsessive workaholics, whereas women as artists are portrayed as ingenue and self-serving manic pixie dreamgirls. This entire film seemed to be an attempt at pandering to feminists and artists that deep down condescended to both.

The grooming played off as romance was unfortunate.

Dot is a fictionalized amalgamation of all her sisters, and as such, they could have given her any plot they wanted. The one they chose just feels overdone while not actually adding anything to the storyline. Considering one sister of the real Clarice Cliff was an art director at Wilkinson, it's disappointing what they came up with considering all they had to work with.

Felt like it was written by someone who doesn't understand or appreciate art deco.

The fact that everyone's taste in things was boiled down to "that makes you smile doesn't it" was unfortunate, reductive and rather insulting to the underlying artist. The entire plot implies that the art was only good because it appeals to the unsophisticated and uneducated. Even worse, it implies that the "unsophisticated and uneducated" are women, as a whole.

Ahh, not an enthusiasist of Biopics but this one was very promising. Matthew Goode, David Morrissey were brilliant as always. Never have I ever been dissapointed by them. Claire Pete's brilliant script writing only added enthusiasm and a sense of empowerment.

That being said, Phoebe Dynevor shone through it all. She added enthusiasm to the already colourful nature of the film. Truly appreciate all the hardwork. Recommend it very much.

We were excited to see The Colour Room released. Why - ? Because we collect Clarice Cliff pottery!

So, it was a real treat to watch this. But we were concerned... There was a real chance that some idiot would make something rubbish and disappointing about Clarice Cliff - a truly remarkable woman... But that is not what happened! The Colour Room portrays Clarice as exactly what she was: visionary, inspirational, hard-working and "never took no for an answer"! Her passion for colour is front and centre here. Very good!

The story is strong - and true! The sets look GREAT! The pottery itself is showcased and looks dazzling. Phoebe Dynevor is excellent as Cliff, and there is a good frission between her and her "boss" Colley Shorter, played by Mathew Goode. All in all - The Colour Room is eye-watering and excellent!

Now go out and buy some Clarice Cliff pottery for your home!

The sound quality was very poor and the camera was jumping all over the place. We are not told what happens to her employers wife, nor are we told that, in fact, she was one of seven children. Factually in accurate in many ways, but politically correct in so many others.

This film is an absolute delight from start to finish. It's all so very well done in every respect and highly entertaining. I just loved it. I note that someone has given this film just 1 star which is quite ridiculous - even if the true story has been slightly fictionalised, to my mind this doesn't matter. It's an entertainment not a documentary. Hugely recommended.

A movie I love and will watch again. A story well told with style and attention to detail. You can actually relax with this one. I like historical and based in fact. The story is inspiring and motivating, showing the positive side of human nature even though still imperfect. The title is a little mysterious and a lovely surprise in the movie. The battles fought and won are played out with realistic script. Not overdone. Great acting and beautiful interior design, also showing the reality of the working class and the contrast with the more privileged. You could watch this movie with your whole family .

What could have been a thoughtful true story about a revolutionary artist, the writers played fast and loose with the events of this woman and her family's life.

I'll definitely give points for costume and set design, but those are my only concessions.

In an attempt to jump on the Girl-Boss bandwagon, the writers succeeded in condescending both artists and women's struggles in professional advancement.

Instead of being "vivacious" as many friends and historians described Clarice Cliff, we're made to see her as a self-serving simpleton who is seemingly incapable of following direct instruction; placing incredible stress on her family both emotionally and financially.

The casting was horrendous: while Phoebe was fun in Bridgerton, her performance as a serious actor was painful to watch. Neither Phoebe nor Matthew managed to portray either character as sympathetic, let alone likeable.

The sound direction had me convinced that Clarice was about to keel over from asthma at any moment.

The script was nonsensical and trite.

The camera work was jumpy and poorly directed, and the art direction was truly terrible.

This film did everyone dirty.

Also, what happened to Shorter's wife?? I believe the writers may have forgotten about her lol.

The movie should have had the spirit of the end credits- it was dark and did not focus on the art and sunny personality that was the main attraction of this amazing personality- a shame.