There's really nothing special about On the Basis of Sex. It's a rote biopic depicting the early life of one Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who of course would go on to be iconic progressive voice in U.S. legal and judicial history. Shmaltzy and sentimental, the film capitalizes on its own senses of nostalgia and timeliness to lionize a woman who hardly needs any extra praise. Much like The Post last year, this feels like an awards grab -- though with considerably less technical skill -- for an audience who is already well-acquainted with its real-life counterpart.
There's really nothing special about the screenplay. We follow Ruth through Harvard Law School and her underdog status as a woman in the male-dominated program. We see her grin and bear it -- though not without her fiery brand of wit and scathing retorts -- and she buckles down to earn her own degree and help her husband. Later, they work together on a case that she's sure will topple "the whole damn system"...if, of course, they win. It's a classic tale of love and hard work and victory that feels nauseatingly like an origin story for a superhero. While there are stakes, we know every step of the journey before it appears on screen.
There's really nothing special about the performances. Felicity Jones brings her considerable talent to the fore -- she's really one of the best in her generation, in my opinion -- but she doesn't do much here we haven't seen her do before. Armie Hammer is his usual suave, intelligent, charming self, and while his supportive husband is a welcome sight (his character's position is usually a vile, chauvinistic sadist), he's not giving us much to chew on. Brief appearances by Sam Waterston as the primary villain and Kathy Bates as the revered mentor figure Dorothy Kenyon, while delightful, are nothing noteworthy.
There's really nothing special about the movie in general. But that's exactly why this movie works so well.
Nothing about it is larger than life. Its comfortable familiarity belies its strength of conviction and heart. It doesn't want to paint Ginsburg as a real person with dark sides and personal struggles, because it's too busy celebrating her magnificent achievements. It doesn't want to exhaust us with her lifelong story of heroic triumphs because it's too busy focusing on her landmark early win that launched her on her path to progress America into a new age of gender equality. It doesn't need all the technical skill to win awards because its simplicity and earnestness is more than enough to win hearts.
And check out Kesha's new song that plays during the closing credits. It's a gem.
No comments:
Post a Comment