Hidden Figures

If there is a ‘How to Get an Oscar Nomination’ manual, the creators of Hidden Figures followed it to the letter. Historical facts or logic don't seem to play a role here, quite the contrary. It's a movie custom-made for Hollywood, and I can understand that it will be unpalatable for some. However, don't expect any major criticism from me. Movies with a space theme, especially when they concern NASA, are damn close to my heart, and I can't possibly give a lower rating than 7/10 to a movie about space exploration. A relaxing film that people will like, but will they remember it in a year? (02/21/2017)

A film about racial segregation (not only) at NASA and the space races from the US perspective. With regard to the former, they push it too hard, whilst in the case of the latter it kind of only brushes the surface. Moreover, it is done with a number of various inaccuracies and rather harmful simplifications - for example, if I hadn't been interested in the topic before, I would get the impression from Hidden Figures that the computer scientists at NASA were solely black women, and immediately after the closing credits I'd go looking to see if John Glenn's launch was indeed such a thrilling drama or not. Despite all of this, though, the film is nice to watch, it has a beautiful camera and great music, all three protagonists are fine, and I liked seeing Kevin Costner again. (11/23/2020)

To accuse this slightly cheesy material of being full of clichés is about the same as dwelling on the fact that there is too much action in an action film, so take the opinions of the few nitpickers who will rate it lukewarmly with a grain of salt. In any case, it's exactly the kind of film that will appeal to the masses, not because it's ass-kicking, like some of Ron Howard's earlier pieces, but precisely because the themes and posters look exactly like that and yet it manages to get around it in a fairly sophisticated way. I mean, sure, it's a film full of good personalities and generous gestures, where there can be nothing but a positive outcome at the end, but that's what you expect from the trailer. Where it differs, however, is the intimate, idiosyncratic and incredibly fresh confrontation between black women and white men in a time of oppression and racial segregation. What you don't expect, though, is lots of snappy dialogue and clouds of emotion. Nor do you expect such a great female acting trio, which is complemented by Kevin Costner with his worldly "Man of Steel" type of role, like we all like him. The nominations are understandable, because not once does it slip into excessive sentimentality and yet it is often good to have a handkerchief handy. The only criticism is perhaps the unnecessarily literal script, which makes Hidden Figures just figures in the finale. (03/26/2017)

This film not only illustrates how absurd and ongoing segregation was and perhaps still is, but it also shows how American society was - and likely still is - ossified, clinging to prejudices and nonsensical rules. Let's face it, it's not just going to be American society. Strong, humane, good, with a positive message that shouldn't be forgotten, but unfortunately, it often is. (02/06/2017)

I'll admit that if it weren't for Kirsten Dunst in a supporting role, I would have definitely missed out on Hidden Figures. But Kirsten has good taste, and her name and character are well portrayed, if only in just a few images, which certainly "adorns" this sure bet. Finally, her secondary storyline and that of Jim Parsons represent the most pressing thing the main characters had to contend with. Or racial segregation, NASA, and the American response to Gagarin. It’s worth a recommendation. (07/26/2017)