Hidden Figures (2016) film review

Year: 2016
Running Time: 127 minutes
Director: Theodore Melfi
Writers: Margot Lee Shetterly (based on the book written by), Allison Shroeder and Theodore Melfi (screenplay)
Cast: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner, Jim Parsons, Kirsten Dunst, Mahershala Ali

Hidden Figures is now showing in the United States and will be released in Australia on February 16. Distributed by 20th Century Fox.

Like the incredible women in the film, Hidden Figures is smart, entertaining and inspirational. It's a wonderfully sharp film that provides a nostalgic and informative snapshot of history while never neglecting it's responsibility to pay the greatest tribute to it's remarkable heroines.

Set in 1961, Hidden Figures is the widely unknown story of how three extraordinary women overcame the unavoidable obstacles of race and gender to assist NASA in their quest to put men in space and ultimately on the moon. Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae), all of who were close friends, made their mark on history in each of their fields at NASA at a time when racial segregation was still in place in the state of Virginia and women still struggled to be taken seriously in the workplace.

Hidden Figures is truly a marvellous piece of filmmaking by director and co-writer, Theodore Melfi. At 127 minutes, it is by no means a short film. However, it is still incredible how much it does and says in this amount of time without seeming heavy or overloaded.

Hidden Figures never once loses focus of it's primary goal, which is to tell the story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. Yet at the same time, the film also provides an intriguing and nostalgic historical imprint of early 1960's in the United States, a time when a great deal of interesting things were taking place. Tensions were high between the United States and Russia and were heightened when Russian, Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. Being beaten by the Russians in such a time did not sit well with the country and especially not with NASA.

Of course, one of the glaringly obvious themes of Hidden Figures is racism and prejudice. In 1961, the state of Virginia was three years away from having segregation abolished under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Even in the film, there is a sense that a change is in the air, but racial tension was very much alive and well. The film works as a reminder that despite growing rights for the coloured in the early 1960's, racism was inbuilt in society so much that it was not often even recognised by whites for what it was. It was just an accepted way of thinking, as was demonstrated by various characters in the film including Kirsten Dunst's Vivian Mitchell. In a memorable exchange between her and Octavia Spencer's Dorothy Vaughan, the following dialogue sums up this notion completely:-

"Despite what you think, I have nothing against y'all"

"I know you probably believe that"

This may look and sound like an insult, but it is not that as it is nothing but the truth. Hidden Figures contains numerous memorable and important pieces of dialogue such as this, but they can also feel as though they were included for people to comment on their importance. This may not sit well with some cinemagoers, but Melfi and Allison Schroeder have achieved their purpose as here we are indeed referring to them.

Yet as much as Hidden Figures is a beautifully made historical picture, it does not forget it's primary responsibility is to highlight the ways Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson overcame seemingly impossible obstacles to achieve incredible things. The screenplay allows for the character development and in depth study of all three of the main characters so that one feels as though they are satisfied with how well they know each of the women. Not only that, but each character has their own unique personality and they have been brilliantly cast in order to make the most of their glorious character traits.

Right from the first scene which the three women appear in together on the deserted road when their car breaks down, you feel as if you are already getting a sense of who Katherine, Dorothy and Mary are and they are all a sheer joy to watch in this scene. Taraji P. Henson is wonderful as Katherine in that she is restrained, but powerful. More importantly, she is relatable and completely likable. Octavia Spencer also gives a strong performance as Dorothy, who is also rather maternal not just around her children, but also over her workers. Janelle Monae is a particular standout as Mary. From that first car scene, one can tell she is the sassy, street smart one of the trio, but not in a way that is unnatural by any means or arrogant. She is great fun to watch and brings a certain sense of "cool" to the film, but in a mature and serious manner so not to take anything away from her achievements.

Hidden Figures is enjoyable and entertaining, but not overwhelming. The brilliance of this is that it does not detract from the enlightening, intelligent and inspiring story of these three incredible women.

9/10

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)

Year: 2014
Running Time: 105 minutes
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Writers: Tom Clancy (based on characters created by), Adam Cozad and David Koepp (screenplay)
Cast: Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner, Kenneth Branagh, Lenn Kudrjawizki, Alec Utgoff

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is now showing in Australian cinemas and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. Now showing in the USA and opening in the UK on the 24th January 2014.

The latest edition to the group of films based on Tom Clancy's novels, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit doesn't quite pack the punch which it should and also thinks that it does. While it has an interesting enough story, it tries to pack too much into it's hour and 45 minute timeframe and as a result comes up with a fairly mediocre action thriller which does nothing to jolt the viewer until the very end.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit takes us back to when Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) was an American student studying in the United Kingdom, which was when September 11 rocked his world and made him change his course in life. Years later, Ryan is now working for the CIA while putting on a convincing front of being just a financial analyst, and is living with his girlfriend, Cathy (Keira Knightley), who has no idea what he really does. When he uncovers a Russian plot to bring down the American economy, he travels to Moscow and places himself and Cathy in grave danger.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is unlike any other of the films featuring Jack Ryan, who has previously been played by Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Alec Baldwin. The main difference is that unlike The Hunt For Red October (1990), Patriot Games (1992), Clear and Present Danger (1994) and The Sum of All Fears (2002), this film is not actually based on a Tom Clancy book. It takes the characters which Clancy created and attempts to provide some answers to the question of where Ryan actually comes from and how did he get to become the incredible agent that he is. So does this work if we accept that this is the object of this film? Not entirely, as his early life is only discussed for a matter of minutes before delving into the world of conspiracies and evil doings. There is enough included to grasp who Ryan is and where he has come from, as well as how he and his future wife, Cathy meet, but Adam Cozad and David Koepp's screenplay just has a little too much packed into it to have any real depth or emotional implications.

Yet, you know you don't go and see a Jack Ryan movie in order to see a heartfelt piece of cinema. You see it for a clever political thriller with some really cool action scenes. As far as Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit goes as a political thriller, it just scrapes into the territory of success. Perhaps not the most suspenseful or fast paced thriller you will see, but it is still quite clever and interesting. However, the majority of the film is not particularly action-packed and it is the last 20 minutes that is the best of the film in this respect. The first half of the film is really quite slow and although the story is interesting, it loses it's thrill in it's pace.

 Kenneth Branagh obviously tries to do as much as he can to make the film feel important and to make it seem a lot more interesting. The musical score implies that the scene we are watching is of huge importance and that we should be in awe of it, but the script really does nothing to support this. If you are a huge Jack Ryan fan, you may think differently, but for people who haven't seen many of the other films and are unfamiliar with Clancy's novels won't see the big deal. Some of the camera work is impressive (particularly in the last few scenes), while some of it is not all that impressive. However, the location shots of the city of Moscow are pretty impressive.

 

Chris Pine was an obvious choice for the young Jack Ryan. He has no problems with the action roles and from his experience with this genre does well enough the title character of the film. It is by no means a challenging role, but he is convincing and brings his own to the character. Keira Knightley also does well as the future Cathy Ryan. The English actress has a most impressive and convincing American accent and she is a very likable character. Kevin Costner's role may be a disappointment to his fans. As Ryan's confidant, Thomas Harper, he really doesn't have a great deal to do in the film and as a result his time on screen is just a little boring. Kenneth Branagh is quite good as Ryan's enemy, Viktor Cherevin. He plays the Russian bad guy well and has the talent of directing himself very well.

Even if you are craving a bit of action in your film diet, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit doesn't give you the big action you would be looking for. It's unfortunate that it takes so long to really get into the film and once it does get to that point, it is minutes off it's end.

5/10

Man Of Steel (2013)

Year: 2013
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne
Man Of Steel is now showing everywhere. Check your local cinema listing for times and details

Superman films have in recent years become a dangerous project to take on. Not because of the so called Superman Curse (although some may argue that this MAY have something to do with it), but because they have so much history and so much to live up to.

Man Of Steel has created so much buzz from film and Superman fans alike with a wonderful cast and Zack Snyder's history with visually astonishing action. However, with all that comes incredibly high expectations and a wave of depression when you realise that Man Of Steel isn't all you wanted it to be. The biggest disappointments being an incredibly weak screenplay and overly self-indulgent direction by Snyder.

Man Of Steel opens with the first natural birth of a child on the planet, Krypton for centuries. Sensing unrest and the end of the world as they know it, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) sends his new born son to Earth to live among the humans and give his race hope. Kal-El grows up being known as Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) and possesses extraordinary strength which sets him apart from others. When Clark sets out to find out who he really is, he encounters reporter, Lois Lane (Amy Adams) who is on a mission to also find out who he really is. Unfortunately, there is someone who knows exactly who Clark is and that is General Zod (Michael Shannon) who is set on rebuilding Krypton even if it means the destruction of Earth and the human race.

One has to wonder how different the reception to Man Of Steel would have been if it was the first we had ever known of Superman or if it was a stand alone film. It is almost inconceivable to think of it this way and therefore is hard to say what we would think about it if it was. Superman has been in our culture for over 60 years now and as a result, it isn't an option for Man Of Steel not be compared to its predecessors.

The major thing that is lacking in this film in regards to past Superman films (particularly those Christopher Reeve films) is there is a lack of suspense and lack of excitement and thrill, which is what Superman is all about. The first half of the film is completely void of any excitement or suspense. The second half admittedly does get better, but 143 minutes is just too long for the film. There was a point where it should have just finished and it would have been the perfect feeling for the action packed conclusion. Yet it just feels like Snyder went overboard with trying to prove what he could do special effects wise and it becomes a little too much. However, don't be alarmed. This is an improvement on 2006's Superman Returns.

It isn't just the final scenes which are a little too much when it comes to the special effects and cinematography. Man Of Steel is primarily a 3D film and that is how it appears even when you watch it even in 2D. There is so much going on that the story is sometimes lost in the crazy CGI and special effects. There is no denying that the special effects are incredible, especially during those scenes on Krypton and in Metropolis. The costume design is also incredible. Then there are the moments that give the impression that a handheld camera is being used and it doesn't add anything to the film.The choice to have flashbacks continuously through the film is also quite annoying and does not allow the film to run smoothly at all.

What die-hard Superman fans may not like about Man Of Steel is that there are several aspects of the film which contradict the original Superman stories. You can tell that what story creators, Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer were trying to do with the story was to not make it exactly like the original Superman so that it wasn't an exact remake. It is really quite admirable as it gives the story some originality and makes for a different take on how Kal-El/ Clark Kent becomes Superman.

However, you cannot fault any of the actors. Henry Cavill was a great choice for the lead role. He shows great character development throughout the film and completely embodies all that both Clark Kent and Superman should be. He has some wonderful emotional moments showing his true acting ability that lies behind the Superman suit.

Amy Adams can clearly do everything and with Man Of Steel she can add action to type of films that she has now conquered. She is a very convincing Lois Lane and her and Cavill work brilliantly together. Michael Shannon does evil very well as General Zod and has some truly terrifying moments. Russell Crowe is far from terrible as Jor-El. He does well and is actually quite fun to watch. Both Diane Lane and Kevin Costner do very well as Clark's parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent. They both are wonderful and very convincing in regards to the emotion they show to their son.

Man Of Steel is let down by a Snyder's thirst for creating as big an impact with CGI action as possible and a very jerky screenplay. The high expectations of anything Superman related didn't help it's cause at all. Yet, it is still Superman and there is always interest when it comes to the man who is faster than a speeding bullet.

5.5/10



You may also be interested in reading our article about whether there is a Superman curse or not. Check it out and decide for yourselves!


You may have also seen Amy Adams in....
Julie & Julia as Julie Powell
The Fighter as Charlene Fleming
The Master as Peggy Dodd

You may have also seen Michael Shannon in......
The Iceman as Richard Kuklinski

You may have also seen Russell Crowe in....
Robin Hood as Robin Hood
Les Miserables as Javert