Hidden Figures (2016)

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  TheMovieDiorama

  8 / 10

  Hidden Figures intelligently uses racial and gender segregation to convey equality in an intellectual environment. I'm sure many of you didn't know who Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan or Mary Jackson were before watching this. And now that you have watched it, you've come out fully informed right? Thus, this historically significant event during the space race of the 60s has done its job, with excellence might I add. The three coloured women mentioned above were all working for NASA in different departments. Using their intellect and self-determination, they must overcome the obstacles of Virginia's enforced segregation policy in order to achieve their maximum potential in their careers. Immediately I was drawn in by the chemistry of our three leading ladies. Henson, Spencer and Monáe did not succumb to the typical role of playing a minority. No no, they embraced the chance to showcase the power, confidence and, most importantly, sass that coloured women took pride in. It's about standing up to the conformities of 60s America, not just laying down on your back because a white man told you to! It gives me great pleasure to see films like this that present equality and the requirement of teamwork regardless of gender, race etc. still being produced today. The narrative beautifully blends the intellectual assignments of NASA with petty racial segregating amenities. One coloured women's bathroom? A kettle just for coloured folk? It's outrageous that disgusting actions like those actually happened. This is why we need films like this, to ensure we never regress to such a primal state of mind in society. For that, this film succeeds. Always brought a smug smile to my face when any of these characters show off and solve a fiendishly difficult calculation that the other employees could not answer. The script allows these characters to be developed by portraying their personal lives as well. It is a bloated subject where certain areas are underdeveloped like the family lives and the new flourishing romance. However, an important and well crafted film.

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