A Hidden Gem

Rating: 7/10 (6 January 2017)

While Hidden Figures suffers a bit from a run-of-the-mill biopic structure, the astounding acting across the board is enough to keep the casual movie fan pleased.
I always love checking out stories that I have never heard of. I've seen The Right Stuff, Apollo 13, and I know a little bit about the background of NASA. But I knew nothing of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. Going into a film with little previous knowledge can be immensely rewarding experience. And although Hidden Figures isn't the best movie, it's most certainly a film worth seeing.
Playing the three "hidden figures" are Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae respectively. Aside from quite a few supporting performances from Spencer, I'm not overly familiar with these actresses' work. And perhaps unexpectedly, all three of them are terrific. Spencer gets the least to do out of the three, and still has a memorable banter with Kirsten Dunst, a racist co-worker. Monae brings a fresh and lighthearted character into the fold and complements the two of them well.
Taraji P. Henson on the other-hand, is on a completely different level. If it wasn't for Portman, Adams, and Stone giving such acclaimed turns this year, Henson would have likely been a front-runner. Considering she's playing someone without much wiggle room to show emotion, it's impressive that I felt as though I could understand exactly what she was feeling in every scene. She only gets a few scenes to express herself in a grand way emotionally, and she makes the best out of them. It was easily one of the best performances of the year.
Even though this story is very interesting on paper (three African American females working for NASA significantly helping America's chances of winning the Space Race), I feel like the film could have taken advantage of the story even more. I love the relationships these women have together and I instantly bought into their chemistry, as I did the material with each of the women's personal lives and families. But I don't think it came all together as neatly as I would have hoped. I wish we would have gotten a little more time with the three women together, instead of hammering home the underlying message involving racism. There's no question this story needed to be told, but at times the execution felt more formulaic than natural.
+Henson is extraordinary
+Incredible story
+Emotion hits a few times
-Directing and editing felt a little choppy
-Needed more time spent with just the three of them
7.0/10