On The Basic Of Sex is a biopic based on the life and early legal case of the extraordinary Ruth Bader Ginsburg, directed by Mimi Jones of TV's The Leftovers, Shameless and ER. It's a big story suitable for the big screen, but unfortunately this treatment performs like an old-fashioned TV movie of the week.
I'm not talking HBO or Netflix either; this film has the depth and grit of a Hallmark or Lifetime movie where backdrops are dreamy and conflicts come together tidily. Every one of Ruth's (Felicity Jones) sweaters is new and perfectly fitted, household items such as a typewriter sparkle without a hint of ink smudge and every tidy room was worth taking in. When the dialogue got too schmaltzy to bear, at least I was able focus on how perfectly pressed her husband Martin Ginsburg's (Armie Hammer) shirts were.
It's not just the script and the direction. The supporting roles are all over the place too. Sam Waterson (Law & Order) does not help this film feel any less like a TV movie, but at least he doesn't think he's in a Broadway production. Halfway through the film, an over-the-top Kathy Bates shows up to play a completely fictional character. Justin Theroux (The Leftovers) may just be the only one who felt like he lived in this era.
Somewhere in this Basis of Sex & The City episode lies one of the most fascinating legal cases of the last Century. This is too big of a story for such a sub-par treatment. When a fire alarm went off during the screening I attended and required that we empty the theater for a few minutes, not everyone chose to return. Maybe it will be OK on TV later.
In a nutshell: Stream the inspiring, in-depth 2018 documentary RBG instead.
Award potential: None.
The Ten Buck Review: Not worth ten bucks.
No comments:
Post a Comment