Enora Maurer

Eni’s personal enjoyment: ★★★★
United States
Director: Mimi Leder
Starring: Felicity Jones (RBG), Armie Hammer (Martin D. Ginsburg), Justin Theroux (Mel Wulf), Kathy Bates (Dorothy Kenyon), Sam Waterston (Erwin Griswold)
Genre: Biopic, Drama
Running time: 120 minutes

Article by my dear friend Stephanie Heeb with whom I saw this movie:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is having a bit of a moment. It seems a strange thing to say about a Supreme Justice of the United States, but then again, in a time of political unrest, many people are looking towards her as the liberal backbone of the court and, frankly, hoping that she will stay alive. Looking towards the future always require looking back, and like the recent Academy Award nominated documentary RBG, the film On the Basis of Sex reflects on RBG’s remarkable life and career.

Starring Felicity Jones as RBG, and Armie Hammer as her husband Martin. On the Basis of Sex is a straightforward biopic. It begins as Ruth Bader Ginsburg enters Harvard Law School, as a mother, wife, and most importantly, woman. The discrimination she faces is at the centre of the storyline and is fed to the audience without any nuance. This sexism and discrimination continue while RBG is on the hunt for a job, and later when she argues the film’s pivotal case. And while this depiction of sexism is certainly accurate in a historical sense, and important to portray, the issues are presented in a somewhat binary manner. The women are shown, justly, to fight for their rights, but the majority of men in the film are shown to be downright evil, in a way that lacks any subtlety.

All men but one, that is. RBG’s husband Martin is portrayed as a veritable saint and if the film is anything to go by, their marriage was without issues or a single fight. On the one hand it is refreshing to see such a supporting, loving marriage on screen, but on the other, it just is not entirely believable. It is always difficult making films about people who are alive; but it is, in my opinion, not an excuse to avoid approaching conflict or a licence to portray the heroines as perfect human beings. For just as her husband is flawless, RBG has no faults in this film. She is passionate, determined, super smart and virtually perfect, with, one might add, an impeccable wardrobe (although it is her daughter Jane, played by Cailee Spaeny, who has become my style icon).

But maybe that is how we should be celebrating her. Her achievements to the advancement of the rights of women were substantial, and, as the film reminds us, her appointment to the Supreme Court was confirmed by the Senate with 96 votes and only 3 dissents – considering the recent appointments, it is hard to believe that this was not so long ago. Although the film erases some vital complexities, its portrayal of RBG’s achievements is touching. Especially the final scene, in which the real RBG makes an appearance, is emotional enough to move the audience (or rather, me) to tears.

Overall, On the Basis of Sex is an enjoyable film, although slightly forgettable. Dripping in saccharine nostalgia, it is very much made for its target audience: liberal, young feminists like me. It attempts to recall a time in which women were successful in battling for their rights and may have been conceived as a call to our generation to continue the fight; however, I believe it has too little impact in order to do that. A more emotionally complex film, which critically engages with both the past and the present, is called for.