Monday, February 6, 2017

Hidden Figures


Directed by Theodore Melfi.
2016. Rated PG, 127 minutes.
Cast:
Taraji P. Henson
Octavia Spencer
Janelle Monáe
Kevin Costner
Jim Parsons
Kirsten Dunst
Mahershala Ali
Glenn Power
Donna Biscoe
Aldis Hodge

Katherine Goble (Henson) and Dorothy Vaughn (Spencer) are mathematicians working at NASA in 1961 in it's all-black department. Essentially, they spend their day double-checking calculations made by others. Their good friend Mary Jackson, an aspiring engineer, also works there. The US is in the midst of an intense space-race with Russia. After the Russians successfully put the first human being into space, NASA director Al Harrison (Costner) is pressured to step up his efforts to put America on top in this competition since it's widely believed the winner will position itself as the dominant superpower. This creates the need for help in the form of a numbers-cruncher in the department that works closest to him. Katherine is assigned to this spot, becoming the first African-American to become part of the Space Task Group. She has to deal with being talked down to by her immediate supervisor, Paul Stafford (Parsons), looked down upon by the rest of her new colleagues, constantly hounded by Harrison, and having to walk across NASA's large canvas just to use the restroom. Meanwhile, Dorothy is clearly one of the most knowledgeable people working there, but has almost no shot at becoming a supervisor. She also has to worry about her entire department being replaced by a computer, if the folks from IBM can ever get it working. Finally, Mary is trying to fight her way in to an engineering school. This is based on a true story, and yeah, there's a love story in there, too.

Various aspects of The Black Experience have been covered in 2016's filmography. While I don't think this is the best of those films, none of the others are this joyous and easy to watch. Though it deals with some heavy themes, and never treats them too lightly, Hidden Figures remains an upbeat story about underdogs. Every part of the production ensures this is the case. It's a brightly lit saunter through history, scored by a lively soundtrack with characters who aren't afraid to smile in the face of adversity. In fact, they prefer it to sulking and deep contemplation. They understand the world around them, but try valiantly to not let it weigh them down. Even when the situation calls for them to be serious, it's only for that moment. Their ground is firmly stood, or their point is thoroughly explained. They then go about the business of overcoming the long odds in front of them with a grin, a bit of sass, and a healthy dose of sarcasm.

Also helping to keep this an amusing ride is the fact our villains aren't life-threatening individuals. No one here seems likely to organize a lynch mob. Sure there is a good deal of racism on display. However, it's pretty clear that it's due to ignorance and preconceived notions shaped by society rather than any intentional malice. I say "intentional" because racism inherently comes with malice, but the bad guys here simply don't know any better. They subscribe to the prevailing theory of the day that blacks just aren't as capable as whites and behave accordingly. We get Paul Stafford constantly belittling Katherine as if that's just the way it was supposed to be. Meanwhile Vivian Mitchell (Dunst), the white supervisor in the building where Dorothy works, shares similar attitudes. She just exposes them in a much more passive-aggressive manner.


Despite the overwhelmingly cheerful tone of Hidden Figures, it never becomes corny. Expert work by the entire cast ensures this. Taraji P. Henson is radiant as Katherine. She mixes the grin, sass, and sarcasm I spoke of to a perfect blend. Her Katherine is a woman who would rather keep a low profile and let her work speak for itself, but isn't afraid to assert herself when necessary. This woman is the polar opposite of Henson's Cookie from TV's Empire, a woman externally built of sharp edges and fire protecting her soft heart. Katherine's core is where her fire rages while her external parts maintain a delicacy that hides it.

Octavia Spencer has drawn raves for her performance as Dorothy, and rightfully so. The woman can flat out act, and does another wonderful job of it. She brings a quiet authority to this role as she has a number of times in recent years. That said, I prefer the work turned in by singer, and cinematic newcomer, Janelle Monáe as Mary Jackson. She lights up the screen whenever given the opportunity to do anything. Her transition from music videos to movies appears to be an effortless one. The camera loves her, and she dutifully loves it back without appearing to be anything other than natural. Jim Parsons pulls off the jerk, racist, and somewhat chauvinist supervisor part well. He is just a guy we dislike enough to groan every time his face appears. This is in perfect service to the rest of the film. Kirsten Dunst serves in a similar capacity as what is essentially his female counterpart. Hers is easily the most understated performance in the film and she makes it work. In what is basically a race-swap with a stereotypically black trope, Kevin Costner also shines. The trope is one I've written about many times before, The Magical Negro. This is a black character with some special ability (often magical, hence the name), yet who exists solely to enable the white protagonist either save the day or become a better person. Here, the special ability of the Costner character, the Magical Caucasian, if you will, is being in charge. He makes decisions no one else in the film can make, but cannot accomplish the task at hand alone.

The drawback to Hidden Figures is that it is wholly predictable. Even if you had no knowledge of the actual story the film is based on, or had somehow missed all of the marketing for it, the outcome is never in doubt. Every aspect of the movie is established in such a fashion we know how it's going to turn out. We get to see the hardships the characters have to go through, and marvel at them, but we never feel any real tension. It's territory we've tread before, without any new insights, nor the impact of startling imagery. The love story between Katherine and Jim Johnson (Ali) also feels preordained from the moment he shows up on the screen. The magic of the film is that we don't mind this, at all. We're happy letting it all wash over, delight, and inspire us.

18 comments:

  1. You know, in this very jaded world of cinema where we see films that are here today gone tomorrow. Especially in these times of uncertainty. It's good to know there's a film out there that can bring something different while being completely accessible to a wide audience and just be this surprise hit from out of nowhere. I'm not sure if I'll see it in the theaters but I know it will come to HBO later this year as I'm looking forward to it. It's just so good to know that there's a film like this that is just positive w/o being corny.

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    1. So true. This film is refreshing and I am very glad it is a hit.

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  2. Great review! I loved every minute of this movie. You're right in the fact that the plot is predictable, but it's such an enjoyable watch that it's easy to forgive :)

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    1. It's very easy to forgive. Glad you enjoyed it.

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  3. Based on your thoughtful review and the trailer, Hidden Figures doesn't look like my thing, a bit too predictable. I guess I'm not the target audience in this case.

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    1. It is most certainly a feel-good movie and never shies away from that.

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  4. This is an excellent review and what I think the film is about even though I haven't seen it. I wonder, do you think Henson should have received an Oscar nod?

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    1. She was very good, but I'm okay with her not getting one. Just from what I've seen so far, there is some really stiff competition this year. Lots of ladies turned in stellar work.

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  5. Great review! I was okay with it being predictable. I'm more bothered by the fact that none of my history teachers growing up ever mentioned this story. I feel robbed, I would've loved to learn about them as a young girl. (Yes,I could've picked up a book on my own time, but still)

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    1. Don't feel bad. I'm guessing more than 95% of the population, myself included, knew nothing about this story. And I consider myself to be fairly well-versed in Black History.

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  6. I LOVED this! I went in not knowing too much about it. Actually before I saw the preview, which thankfully didn't overexplain the story, I had assumed from the title that it was a horror movie! There was a predictability to it but that didn't bother to me since the story was so well told. In a way it reminded me of Apollo 13 beside the obvious similarities of their stories, why it really struck me was that even through the result was a known those scenes of the mission were tense and compelling. That's good direction and storytelling.

    All three women were very strong, both the actresses and the women portrayed, and it's a shame all weren't nominated. But there's only so many slots...though I'd much rather see Taraji P. Henson in the race than Meryl Streep-like her though I do her work in Florence Foster Jenkins wasn't extraordinary whereas Henson's was.

    My one quibble with the film and it's a small one is that I could have done without the romance. I know it was there to make Katherine Johnson a more fully realized person but to me it distracted from the main thrust of the story.

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    1. Glad you liked it. I will say I'm surprised you bothered with it, given you thought it was a horror movie, lol. Not sure how you missed the trailer, though. It was everywhere for months before its release.

      At this point, aren't there only 4 available Best Actress slots every year plus Meryl Streep's inevitable nomination?

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    2. Somehow I did miss the preview until I went to see Passengers and it was one of the first to be shown, thankfully since I tend to glaze over on the previews after about the fourth-I DETEST the new policy where they show about 10 to 12 before the feature! It's just too many, I forget most of them as soon as they end and I'm squirming in my seat before the film even starts. When I used to run a theatre four was the limit you were suppose to have preceding the film in order to give us time to clean up between shows (and the previews were shorter). Of course back then you had silence between the films instead of the ceaseless advertisements they show now and you had a chance to settle into your seat and enjoy the hush before the film and relax. I miss that most of all.

      Ya if Meryl has a movie out it's always a threat that she'll be taking a spot. Nobody is that good especially when performers like Donald Sutherland are ignored year after year after year. Too bad and you can't even lay the blame at her feet, she didn't campaign this time and they still nominated her!

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    3. I personally like the trailers, but I get where you're coming from. I can do without all the ads, though. As for Streep, I don't blame her. I really like her, but it's getting ridiculous.

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  7. Of all the Oscar nominees, this is the one I most want to see soon. I still can't believe I'd never heard of these women since recently. I'm expecting to love it!
    By the way, I nominated you for the Mystery Blogger Award! https://sgliput.wordpress.com/2017/02/07/the-mystery-blogger-award-courtesy-of-drew/

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    1. No worries. Most people hadn't heard of them. Therefore, I'm glad this movie came along. Hope you get to see it soon. It is a fun time. Thanks for nom!

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  8. I loved Henson in this. I'm not familiar with Empire but she was as you said radiant here. Also I loved Costner's performance as the noble good guy, one of my favorite movie character types. I adored the scene where she yells at him about bathroom and you can see on his face how shocked he is because he treated her as equal and the thought of the bathroom being an issue didn't even cross his mind. A lovely movie.

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    1. Yes, that particular scene was brilliantly played for just the reason you stated.

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