I kinda just saw this movie for the sake of seeing a movie, and I ended up really enjoying it! I knew very little about Ruth Bader Ginsburg going in, and I really learned a lot from this film, and had a great time doing so.
This film chronicles several events from Ruth's time at Harvard up to her crusade towards gender equality. It puts central focus on Charles Moritz case, which allowed her and husband Martin Ginsburg to start the fight.
I find biopics to be very hit or miss, either telling a compelling story or trying to tell a story that just isn't there. This is a case of the former, as despite few interesting technical choices I was riveted by this film. I don't know much about law so the heavy amount of law talk worried me, but writer Daniel Stiepleman does a good job of simplifying it without dumbing it down too much. The story is truly fascinating, and since I knew little about Ruth Bader Ginsburg going in I was always eagerly anticipating what was to come. The film's ability to stay interesting is also a testament to director Mimi Leder, who paces the film magnificently, also bringing some solid creative choices to the table. The recreation of the time period is quite great, with fantastic costume design as well as hair and makeup. There are some moments of cool cinematography but for the most part it is fairly standard.
This great story is told with some really great acting. Felicity Jones plays RBG and is really great. She has a very strong presence onscreen that I can only imagine mirrors the presence RBG has in a room. She plays this role both powerfully and vulnerably, with a strong balance between the two. Her husband Martin is played by Armie Hammer, a man that I consider very underrated. He is quite strong in the film, and if I were to critique anything it would be that his voice is so distinct that it at times is hard to separate him from his character. Justin Theroux plays Mel Wulf, the legal director of the ACLU, and is really good. His character is tough to crack and he plays the part very well. One other actor I want to take note of is Kathy Bates who plays Dorothy Kenyon. This is a very small role but Bates is a powerhouse in her limited screen time, fully stealing every scene she appears in.
The film suffers from generic storytelling at times, which isn't inherently a bad thing but also isn't something I can get very excited about. However, the great story and all around great cast make it well worth a watch.
Rating: 3.7/5
Written by Matt McKenzie
This film chronicles several events from Ruth's time at Harvard up to her crusade towards gender equality. It puts central focus on Charles Moritz case, which allowed her and husband Martin Ginsburg to start the fight.
I find biopics to be very hit or miss, either telling a compelling story or trying to tell a story that just isn't there. This is a case of the former, as despite few interesting technical choices I was riveted by this film. I don't know much about law so the heavy amount of law talk worried me, but writer Daniel Stiepleman does a good job of simplifying it without dumbing it down too much. The story is truly fascinating, and since I knew little about Ruth Bader Ginsburg going in I was always eagerly anticipating what was to come. The film's ability to stay interesting is also a testament to director Mimi Leder, who paces the film magnificently, also bringing some solid creative choices to the table. The recreation of the time period is quite great, with fantastic costume design as well as hair and makeup. There are some moments of cool cinematography but for the most part it is fairly standard.
This great story is told with some really great acting. Felicity Jones plays RBG and is really great. She has a very strong presence onscreen that I can only imagine mirrors the presence RBG has in a room. She plays this role both powerfully and vulnerably, with a strong balance between the two. Her husband Martin is played by Armie Hammer, a man that I consider very underrated. He is quite strong in the film, and if I were to critique anything it would be that his voice is so distinct that it at times is hard to separate him from his character. Justin Theroux plays Mel Wulf, the legal director of the ACLU, and is really good. His character is tough to crack and he plays the part very well. One other actor I want to take note of is Kathy Bates who plays Dorothy Kenyon. This is a very small role but Bates is a powerhouse in her limited screen time, fully stealing every scene she appears in.
The film suffers from generic storytelling at times, which isn't inherently a bad thing but also isn't something I can get very excited about. However, the great story and all around great cast make it well worth a watch.
Rating: 3.7/5
Written by Matt McKenzie
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