Might not be historically spot on accurate, but it tells an important story well

Rating: 8/10 (22 February 2017)

The role of human 'computers' who undertook bafflingly complex mathematical calculations as part of the US space program in the 1950s and 1960s was something I was unaware of. But this film presents the role of three black American women who performed this role in an engaging and satisfying way. It confronts the social backdrop of the era – racial and sexual discrimination, segregation and blatant unfairness in a frustratingly realistic way.
It would seem that the three women's roles did not link and overlap to anything like the extent portrayed, and apparently lead Katherine G Johnson's part in the story occurred quite a few years earlier. I did not find this overly distracting, as the strength of the story and the way it was told through performances, screenplay and settings trumped historical misgivings. One wonders whether some of the scenes occurred in the way portrayed, or even occurred at all, but I can accept why they remained, even though the film would probably have been stronger without them.
It confronted the challenges of the march of progress and casualties along the way when the IBM mainframe computer arrives, and the differing reactions of those who interacted with it.
Taraji P Henson (Katherine), Octavia Spencer (Dorothy Vaughan) and Janelle Monae (Mary Jackson) were a convincing shining trio that delivered the story with aplomb. Octavia Spencer in particular had the evenness and consistency that took her role above the others. Kevin Costner was wonderful as the team leader; and Jim Parsons as the selfish second in charge and Kirsten Dunst as the wielder of small power HR director made the most of their opportunities – or possibly they made more of the opportunities than was really justified, as some of their delivery seemed heavy handed and overwrought.
The settings and locations both externally, internally and in and around the space craft were evocative of the period, as were the costumes and overall styling. It was amazing how many 1950s cars must remain in the US, in the near new condition that would have been the case at the time.
The film justifies its length, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.