Fun drama which intertwines race and science

Rating: 8/10 (19 February 2017)

"Hidden Figures" proved to be a sleeper hit in the US and then went on to gain three Oscar nominations including Best Picture. That a film where the primary characters are black women who also are mathematicians for NASA should be a surprise force at the box office is a massive understatement. It is a testimony to Theodore Melfi as director and co-writer with Allison Schroeder as to the skill to inject what could have been a run of the mill drama with warmth and enough racial history to elevate the material and allow it to be a safe vehicle for examining where the US has come from and ironically where it is in 2017. The film has the luxury of three incredible women to showcase, who each individually made great strides for women and African Americans though the film makes Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) the lead story ably supported by the portrayals of Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae). All three started out as 'computers', that is human computers who helped calculate the immense amount of math needed to establish the NASA space program. Soon all three are pushing the boundaries of an institution still wrestling with how to leave behind WWII era thinking both scientifically and socially. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of that era knows what happens in terms of putting the first American into space and the pressure to beat the Russians in technological expertise. The story comes alive in the nuances of living in a Virginia, still segregated under state law, where daily tasks prove so much more difficult and in some case almost impossible. To be clear the film is nothing resembling a documentary. The events are pitched for effect, characters mixed with others as the time frames were much longer but the essence of kicking doors down which had long been closed to minorities is true to the spirit of the times and a film much needed right now where the value of both science and a diverse population are both openly questioned by the Trump administration. The leads are all very good in charismatically holding the lens. The roles are showy to liven up the subject matter and only Butler seems especially grounded and so it is not surprising that she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Kevin Costner reminds you why he is still a movie star, dominating every scene he is in. Jim Parsons (unrecognisable in manner from his TV work) and Kirsten Dunst are very good in unlikeable roles. The whole ensemble is very good across the board and really allows the film to hold your attention despite a two hour running time. It is rare that a film can be recommended as great family viewing and simultaneously be a salve to the daily news. I hope that the White House plays this film, many might learn why the US was once respected and revered across the globe despite any failings because it was seen as a place which recognised the constraints of reality and then tried to improve on them.