Inspiring film, but this scripted feature does not live up to the RBG documentary. This is a more emotional version of the love story between Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) who became a Supreme Court Justice and her supportive husband, Marty, (Armie Hammer) who was an equally talented tax law attorney.
It details the personal and professional hurdles they both had to jump through in life together and their careers. What an interesting pair! She is tiny and he was so tall, but their relationship was equal in every way. He even stood aside so she could follow her dream and become a groundbreaking hero for equality.
Screenwriter Daniel Stiepleman knows the story well. He is Ginsburg’s nephew. Ginsberg has seen the movie and says, with minor exceptions, it’s a faithful portrayal. That doesn’t make this a great film. It’s mostly low key and almost matter-of-fact with a clinical feel.
Jones and Hammer do a credible job with the material. But the storyline has little flow. It feels episodic as they jump from event to event to highlight their road blocks. We found the casting and performance of Armie Hammer less than what we hoped for.
These accomplished actors are somewhat believable as a couple, but there is chemistry missing. And there are times when the dialogue gets bogged down with clichés. Even so, the film proves it was harder then, than it would be now. Bader Ginsburg is a woman who showed that you can have it all; marriage, family and career, but not without great sacrifices.
When Marty became severely ill during their law school days, she even went to his classes as well as her own to keep them both going. From what we’ve seen chronicled about Ruth and Marty’s relationship, those scenes and this film should have been more emotionally engaging.
Mimi Leder directs Felicity Jones as a cute and soft-spoken young woman fighting to prove herself over and over again in the man’s world of higher education, law firms and in court. Her smarts and determination are presented in detail from 1956 to 1975 for equal rights. Her first groundbreaking case in front of the Supreme Court was defending a man in a gender equality case.
That climactic scene of Ginsberg’s first appearance before the Supreme Court wasn’t as strong as it should have been. Since this is a feature version of her life, why did Leder snd Stiepleman choose to keep Ginsberg hidden behind her soft-spoken, almost expressionless veneer and not allow the audience inside her head to show more of her inner turmoil? The real recordings from the Supreme Court that we’ve seen are ultimately more dramatic.
Now at 85, Ginsburg still has an incredible work ethic. She has overcome cancer 3 times, broken ribs, and more recently, but continues to bounce back and hear cases on the Supreme Court. She has always exceeded expectations and impressed so many with her smarts and determination.
Director Leder includes a nice surprise at the end of the film. It’s a good kicker that punctuates with an appearance of the Notorious RBG herself. This film is another look into an extraordinary woman and her lifetime of accomplishment but it only covers a small portion of her life and she’s still fighting from the bench. The Supreme Court Justice has put her seal of approval on this film, but if we have a dissenting opinion. If you can’t see both, we rule in favor of the RBG documentary.
Focus Features 2 hours PG-13
