It cannot be
understated how pleasing it is to see people succeed in films, no matter the
size or situation. With Hidden Figures,
it’s the true backbone of the film, showing these women succeed in overcoming
prejudice and in their roles in sending these men to space. Some pieces of the
movie feel like manufactured drama and tension, in particular elements of
Glenn’s orbit, but most everything feels earned and well crafted throughout.
Seeing these women
succeed is half the puzzle thought, as you need to insure you get the right
actors in these roles. Fortunately all three leading ladies are incredible and
have insanely good chemistry amongst the group. Arguably the central figure of
the three is Taraji P. Henson, as mathematically gifted Katharine Johnson, who
should be getting more Oscar buzz than she currently is, in a fantastic role
with some great scenes sprinkled about. But as great as Henson is, Janelle
Monae steals the film. Hidden Figures
secures the idea that Monae will be a star if she continues to knock it out of
the park and if I were to hand out only one nomination to the three it would be
here to Monae for Best Supporting Actress. While these two feel like award
worthy performances, Octavia Spencer is getting the most recognition. She is
great in the role of course, but it’s kind of forgettable amongst the other two
dynamite performances.
Hidden Figures is inspiring, but it can
be a little on the nose at times, hammering home the hopeful undertones a bit
hard and in doing so it makes the entire film feel a bit safe. But it should be
commended for not portraying the white characters as caricatures and letting
the prejudice come off as systemic rather than over the top. It all feels real
rather than manipulative and that’s really great when things could’ve been
really overly dramatized.
Overall, Hidden Figures is a good, just shy of
great, film that tells a story that should’ve been known long before now. It’s
hopeful and interesting without being the award bait film that it could’ve
been. The film also incorporates humor in a way that other historical pieces
don’t, helping ground these incredible women in reality. It may not go for
broke on certain aspects but it get’s it’s message and ideas across in a film
that’s certainly worth checking out.
So what did you think of Hidden Figures? Have you seen it and what are some similar historical pieces that are truly inspiring? Subscribe, share, comment below, and as always return to I Am Sam for weekly reviews and insight
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