Hidden Figures's biggest strength is its cast, with its central trio, Katherine, Mary, and Dorothy, radiating confidence amidst an oppressive and uncaring world. In scenes together they make a enjoyable show of bouncing off each other, but apart their plotlines remain compelling. Each of them show a different way to fight the power, either by protesting the system, sneaking one's way through it, or becoming the best one can be until the establishment can't ignore you.
The film does have two disappointments, though. The first is that it's not very clear on the depiction of science itself. Unlike other modern science-fiction films like Arrival or The Martian, Hidden Figures doesn't really clarify its complicated mathematics. Dialogue like "we have to use the Euler Method" feels like incomprehensible technobabble, and it leads to multiple scenes feeling like the same "Katherine writes a bunch of numbers, everyone is amazed".
The second fault is that the film is overall pretty lenient towards the white establishment. While Dorothy gets the best putdown of the film in coldly chastising her boss's passivity, the rest mostly slide by. It feels pretty disrespectful to have Katherine's restroom debacle end with her white boss saving her, something that unsettled me before I learned in real life she dealt with it herself. Additionally, the happy ending of merely Katherine staying employed feels an overly rosy depiction, since racial segregation is still in place and the title admits these women were then unfairly ignored.
Ultimately many, including I, am grateful that Hidden Figures told an essential story. But it deserves a longer, more scientifically and historically clarifying telling. Future miniseries, I say.
An inspiring ensemble story, but could use more bite.
Hidden Figures's biggest strength is its cast, with its central trio, Katherine, Mary, and Dorothy, radiating confidence amidst an oppressive and uncaring world. In scenes together they make a enjoyable show of bouncing off each other, but apart their plotlines remain compelling. Each of them show a different way to fight the power, either by protesting the system, sneaking one's way through it, or becoming the best one can be until the establishment can't ignore you.
The film does have two disappointments, though. The first is that it's not very clear on the depiction of science itself. Unlike other modern science-fiction films like Arrival or The Martian, Hidden Figures doesn't really clarify its complicated mathematics. Dialogue like "we have to use the Euler Method" feels like incomprehensible technobabble, and it leads to multiple scenes feeling like the same "Katherine writes a bunch of numbers, everyone is amazed".
The second fault is that the film is overall pretty lenient towards the white establishment. While Dorothy gets the best putdown of the film in coldly chastising her boss's passivity, the rest mostly slide by. It feels pretty disrespectful to have Katherine's restroom debacle end with her white boss saving her, something that unsettled me before I learned in real life she dealt with it herself. Additionally, the happy ending of merely Katherine staying employed feels an overly rosy depiction, since racial segregation is still in place and the title admits these women were then unfairly ignored.
Ultimately many, including I, am grateful that Hidden Figures told an essential story. But it deserves a longer, more scientifically and historically clarifying telling. Future miniseries, I say.