Hidden Figures reviewed by Mark Kermode

[@notabot835]

I really liked this movie

[@taliaprice1909]

I really enjoyed this film.

[@charliepanayiotou4305]

It's part of this week's Janelle Monae/Mahershala Ali double-bill!

[@GiantSandles]

Kevin Costner Single-Handedly Ends Racism: The Movie

[@derrykev]

Yep, the whole "white saviour" aspect of this film grated on me.

[@GiantSandles]

What makes it more annoying to me is that it's barely received a mention compared to the unfair criticisms of La La Land having a white saviour, even though the guy who made Hidden Figures admitted to making that part of it up

[@GiantSandles]

Why on earth did you take that as a slight against her rather than against the film? Are you dim?

[@GiantSandles]

It was obviously exaggerated for comic effect, but the fact is they invented a white character who opened doors for her that didn't exist in real life. The director and the woman it's based on both admitted this. If you wanna justify that then fine, but it's not a good look

[@GiantSandles]

Because there was no way to convey her annoyance about racism other than introducing a fictionalised whitewashed narrative? You're *really* trying to defend that aspect of the film? Also that bit at the end was really clever, because it's like what I just said but you shifted it around, nice one pal.

[@paladinbob1236]

looks very interesting..looking forward to experiencing this one :D

[@andyg9835]

Like, ‘The Founder’, ‘Hidden Figures’ seems to take a light-hearted liberal approach to telling a biographical story of post-war America. I didn’t think it was great, certainly not in the sphere of award nominations in my opinion, but it jockeyed along with a pleasantly amiable manner. I’d say its worth a go. 3/5

[@123rockfan]

What would a conservative approach look like?

[@lazy_kalm]

It's interesting Mark touched on the 'contrived' aspect because that's the bit I couldn't get past. For me it was an important story to tell but I could absolutely feel myself being pushed towards feeling a certain way and that, for me personally, dulled the overall impact. Just certain scenes that took away from the credibility of the film. Still enjoyed it, but had my issues.

[@123rockfan]

+JackIntheBoxGaming what does math have anything to do with conservatism?

[@alachabre]

" Still enjoyed it, but had my issues." I get that, but the science and the math was so inaccurate and dumbed-down that it ruined the movie for me. That along with a lot of jumbled story-telling and absurd Hollywood-contrived situations.

[@123rockfan]

+JackIntheBoxGaming that doesn't answer my question at all lol

[@JoseCortes-on6uy]

It's a handsomely made, very mainstream crowd pleaser, and I enjoyed every second of it. Not every movie based on fact has to be a grimly kitchen-sink stick-to-the-facts downer with ludicrously masochistic characters. Sometimes you want to smile and be uplifted too.

[@josettewise7271]

I loved this film , completely agree with your review .

[@zentraveler1834]

As for hidden figures, I’d like to give a shout out to Janelle Monáe for Hidden Figures, and Moonlight.

[@edcampion3998]

after the blacklash of last year its good to see the academy is giving black people the recognition they deserve as great actors.Some great performances this year this lady included.

[@LetMeBeMe]

Prepare to be blacked this year.

[@davy209]

I can’t fault the Academy for the #OscarsSoWhite backlash in 2015 since that year didn’t have movies like Moonlight, Fences, Hidden Figures, and Loving that gave their black actors a chance to really show off their talents. I think the nominations for Denzel, Ruth, Viola, and Octavia were very much well deserved, regardless of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy.

[@dmtn198]

Brilliant film.

[@HerbieChuckNorris]

standard stuff

[@cliffedward]

I liken these US movies to Candy Floss. It looks good but when you take a bite you realise there is no substance and it's only spun sugar and overly sweet.

[@juanvargas9532]

Do the Math! Hidden Figures is a modern-day Race Film as Slapstick on a Stick! Hidden Figures, dir. Theodore Melfi. Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer. In Hidden Figures the story is viewed with rose-colored glasses as an overweight White State Trooper, in a cartoonish manner, who appears to be menacing at first, but after a miraculous epiphany of sorts, gleefully gives our three Black stars a polite and glamorous escort to their historical destination. It is Kevin Costner (as Al Harrison) who single-handedly hammers away at the “Coloreds Only Bathroom” sign, as another White Man, President Lyndon B. Johnson, single-handedly enacts the first Civil Rights Act of 1964. Point of view is as important if not more so than the story being told. More often we are told the story of these fine African American women from the point of view of the white man - a most disconcerting detraction to the movie. Kevin Costner would be a shoe-in for the prestigious and coveted “Liberation of Negro Women Award” if it were offered by the Academy Awards. Sadly, a film where Artifice (not Art) depicts Life. Now, do you want to know how I really feel? -JV. PG Drama. US. ADG: Excellence in Production Design for a Period Film. NAACP Image Awards: Outstanding Motion Picture, Best Actress (Taraji P. Henson) and Song (I See Victory) in a Motion Picture. Heartland Film Award: Truly Moving Award. Abomination Awards: Liberation of Negro Women Award (Kevin Costner).

[@pezzamange]

My wife wanted to see this but I won the coin toss and we saw Lion. Is it worth going back watching this?

[@jvanness90]

pezzamange Both are pretty good films, but I think you made the right choice. I personally enjoyed Lion much more. I would say if you're at all interested in the story in hidden figures to give it a watch. I think marks review was pretty spot on.

[@mmmallory33]

pezzamange i found lion to be mediocre, and Hidden Figures to be an earnest crowd pleaser in the best way possible.

[@jvanness90]

mmmallory33 I'd definitely call Hidden Figures a crowd pleaser, but I'll be honest that I was a little turned off by the way they presented these grand ideas through the language of film. It felt very dumbed down at times and just ultimately slowed the film down for me. The other problem I had with Hidden Figures was the occasionally awful music. Although I think Pharrell is just fine as a songwriter, I thought the overly loud bass notes in the song used over and over to be really grating on the ear. It certainly didn't fit the aesthetic of the film at all. I'm usually fine with anachronistic music selections if they're used properly, but I thought it really hurt the film here. Ultimately, I think both are really good films, but I'd rewatch Lion over Hidden Figures if given the chance.

[@OwlPhoenix]

I hated the fact that this very beautiful and important story was brought down to a very much cliche feel good liberal type of movie. All the bloody cliches of African American history movies are there -The mother figure black woman (Octavia. Can someone please give the beautiful Octavia another role ?) -The very one dimentional characters, even the black main characters -The very epic very emotional very memorable token scene of the depiction of the black struggle (I have to walk a mile to go the toilets blah blah) -the white savior -and so on. It didn't feel real, it just felt overdone to me. The acting was not that good, let's face it (except Octavia and Mahershala because Octavia and Mahershala duh). But appart from this, it was a good movie, very cute and charming. I kinda understand that it had to be a bit more "family oriented" and "inclusive" so that black young people and white people would feel comfortable watching it. But yeah, no. Didn't really enjoy it that much.

[@davy209]

I definitely agree with a lot of your criticisms of the movie and yes Hidden Figures does use many movie tropes of the “feel-good” racism narrative. But for me, Hidden Figures was different than The Blind Side or The Help because the story is about the three black women leads, rather than a white protagonist, which for me, does create a much different narrative structure, and makes a huge difference to where I cannot fully compare Hidden Figures to a movie like The Help.

[@capcolombie3834]

They needed a mathematical genius, yet Sheldon Cooper was in the room.

[@barrybernstein4459]

I gave up on the film after the second time she went to the toilet at NASA. Please somebody tell me the facts if I am wrong , but i don,'t believe she had to walk 600 yards every time she wanted to be excused. I also found that I felt like I was watching a TV soap with I am afraid very moderate acting. I reiterate if somebody can tell me that the only two at NASA who were not racist were John Glenn and the Kevin Costner character I would be interested to know.

[@nellsmc8977]

Segregation was real and I am pretty sure they would not have a 'Colored' bathroom in the building. Kevin Costner's character was not real.

[@juanvargas9532]

Is this talking head seduced by Tom Hanks, who he likes in a "White Shirt"? He spends a thousand words to say nothing. He should be on the screen. He is genuinely amazed by space travel. A genuine museum piece. He's hilarious. Wow: The "grammar of mainstream cinema", it puts a spring in (his) step" Wow a true philosopher!

[@BartAlder]

If you're not amazed by space travel you're not likely amazed by anything very much and you're possibly as curious about the world as a rock is curious about philosophy.

[@wacabell]

so cliche, I could not sit through the entire thing

[@wacabell]

Actually "Lion" had a superb first act and lost its way during the 2nd and 3rd acts. While the "grim-by-the-numbers" artistic heft of "Manchester by the sea" was absolutely laughable, unfortunately its humourless self importance is what nowadays is mistaken for artistic relevance. By the way, I was not aware this was an arm-wrestling challenge,

[@razvaz]

What's the actual point of this film? Just that they were black women, stuggleing? If so, I've probably already seen this film. People say we never knew about them; this is true of everyone behind the scenes at NASA. If fact, if you asked the vast majority of people, they probably couldn't even name the third man that went up to the moon with Neil and Buzz.

[@derrykev]

You've missed the point, which is that the contributions from these brilliant women enabled the Nasa space programme to succeed. Yet, because they were black women, they have been erased from history. Guaranteed if they were three white men, we'd know their names.

[@razvaz]

I clearly said that we don't know anyone, to most, not even the third guy on the moon. They were not erased, we just never knew about them, along with 99.9% of the rest of the people who worked at NASA.

[@derrykev]

And again I say you're missing the point: 99.9% of the rest of the people who worked at NASA were not these 3 black women who overcame significant racial and gender discrimination, segregation and prejudice to become recognised as leaders in their fields. Let's not forget that these women weren't even allowed to vote when they worked at NASA.

[@razvaz]

You say I miss the point but I already covered this in my original post. If it's about oppression, I have already seen this film many times. I could be wrong, but it just looks like another film about racism. Like anyone really cares about NASA mathematicians.

[@tazdeans]

Michael Collins