Review of On the Basis of Sex

On the Basis of Sex

Rating = B

This film is a good complement to RGB which was a documentary of Ruth Bader Ginsberg's life. This case focuses on her trying to get hired to be a lawyer by a New York law firm, getting a job teaching, getting involved with the ACLU, and getting an important first case that she argued to a Federal appeals court. Many real reviewers think it is only an average (grade C) movie although they think it does an sufficient job of telling the story. I think more of it than that. First, I think telling story in a way that clearly shows how hard it was for Ginsberg to be taken seriously is a serious accomplishment. Second, I assume the film is presenting an accurate story of Ginsberg's personality, a personality that perhaps was hard for many people to accept independent of the cultural bias against women; it is perhaps not surprising that some reviewers couldn't feel a bond with the character in the movie.

[2019-01-15, Cape Cinema, Dennis, MA]