Beautifully executed

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2017)

Films based on historical events can be challenging. Many are just a collection of stories put together with no real narrative. Other times they attempt to cram as much information in as possible, regardless of its relevance. Hidden Figures is storytelling at its finest, as we're quickly and gracefully shown Katherine's brilliance at a young age, then seamlessly brought into the present, where we also meet Dorothy and Mary. The scene is so simple, yet clearly shows us that although these three women share in similar situations and struggles, they each have very unique personalities.
Minor spoilers below:
Hidden Figures deals not just with their work at NASA but also the challenges they face in their personal lives, both as friends and individually as wives and parents. One thing that struck me is that this is a film about triumph. Every story they told had a happily ever after. But that doesn't mean that it was without drama. The filmmakers were careful not to turn the film into a statement, something that could have easily been done, and instead just used the facts of the time to move the story forward. The tension felt because of racism and sexism was real. When a character was encouraged you joined the cheering squad. When they were discouraged we felt their dread, however fleeting. When shown how unfair life was at that time, we were uncomfortable. But most importantly, watching these women fight for their small victories, we realized that we all can accomplish our dreams. This movie is a story about real life heroes.
The acting all around was amazing as well. You can tell there was a lot of passion in this movie. This is the type of movie you share with your kids, with your parents, with anyone who enjoys a movie that makes them feel hopeful and inspired. I usually don't like the feel good movies, but this is one that will be on repeat whenever I need it.