Review 495: On the Basis of Sex

On the Basis of Sex may not be as groundbreaking as the real life story at its center would lead you to believe; but as an inspirational bio pic on what is essentially a cultural icon, it mostly succeeds - in no small part thanks to its two well matched leads.

In 1956, Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) is a struggling attorney and new mother who faces adversity and numerous obstacles in her fight for equal rights. When Ruth takes a groundbreaking tax case with her husband, attorney Martin Ginsburg (Armie Hammer), she knows it could change the direction of her career and the way courts view gender discrimination.

The plot is beautifully inspirational and a very accurate portrait of her working life as well as her family life. It also expertly portrays her as a woman who was very much ahead of her time. In a time when women didn't have as

Her hard work inspired hope that change was going to come around the corner. Her skill was changing the law bit by bit so that change could happen eventually. Her experiences showed and indeed this film does as well, that change doesn't just happen overnight.

At the heart of the film, as well as being a bio pic, is a love story between Ruth Bader and Martin Ginsberg. They're relationship was very supportive. Their marriage was an equal partnership on almost every level

Director Mimi Leder's direction is sensitively sure footed. The cinematography is splendid and captures the beauty of late 50's early 70's America. The production design (recreating the 50's and 70's) is excellent and the costumes are terrifically colourful. The score by Mychael Danna is beautiful. There are some nice moments of humor sprinkled throughout the film and the ending has a strong sense of change and resolution to it.

The acting performances are simply fabulous. Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer are both excellent in the roles of Ruth and Martin Ginsburg. Their chemistry and their relationship is very strong and helps to anchor the films emotional core and impact.

They were very supportive of each other and dedicated to their careers - almost to the point of where it was their life because they doing something they felt very passionate about. Their work became their life became their life because they were doing something they were so passionate about.
Over the course of the film, they overcome many obstacles. These obstacles included Martin's struggles with cancer to Ruth working as a professor teaching Sex Discrimination and Law, at Rutgers Law School, when no law firm would hire her.

Jones, in particular, expertly and beautifully plays Ginsburg as a multifaceted person: the hardworking student at Harvard, the devoted wife, the strict but loving mother to her two children, the determined and aspiring lawyer that no one would hire because of her gender as well as the strict but passionate teacher.
At the beginning of the film, we meet Ruth when she's just about to start at Harvard and she was, at the time, one of nine women who was attending Harvard which in those days was unprecedented.
She was extremely progressive and fiercely devoted to what she did. The forces of society were against her at the time; She was a woman who was ahead of her time and she constantly found that stuff wasn't happening the way that it should be.

Martin was the first man that Ruth Bader Ginsburg had met who valvued her for her intelligence and supported her  He greatly defied gender rules at that time, he would spend most of the time looking after the children whilist Ruth went out and focused on her work which was unheard of in those days.
He had the self assuredness to say this was what he wanted to do.

Newcomer Cailee Spaeny is also very strong playing Jane Ginsburg, Ruth and Martin's rambunctious and rebellious teenage daughter. Jane is very much a child of her generation just as Ruth is portrayed as a woman of her generation during her collage years. This makes Jane the antithesis to Ruth as she's more interested in rallies and action than her mothers more legal approach.

Justin Theroux

Jack Reynor

Sam Waterson

Kathy Bates, as always, delivers a strong performance as fellow New York attorney, judge and civil right lawyer, Dorothy Kenyon. Kenyon is depicted, very much, as Ruth B. Ginsburg's idol - someone whom she really respect and admires especially in these times. She tried to campaign for women's rights in court much like how Ruth tries to now but due to

4/5.

The Anonymous Critic.