On the Basis of Sex (2019)

Rating: 7.5/10
Genre: Drama
Related Titles: RBG, Marshall, Loving, Hidden Figures
By Leanne Harragan

Struggling attorney and mother Ruth Bader Ginsberg has a lot of obstacles to overcome in her fight for equal rights. When she takes on a tax case, it has the potential to change her career, life and the way gender discrimination is viewed in court.

Based on the life of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, this film looks intensely at a short period of her life but is a strong account of the fight for equality overall on more levels than one. It's not especially informative especially when compared to last years documentary RBG but it's certainly a well acted recount. 

Felicity Jones brings Ginsberg to life on the screen, she oozes class and although I can't say for sure her accent seemed fairly solid. She also had fantastic chemistry with on screen husband Armie Hammer. Hammer gives a very good performance, although he is not the main character he brings Ruth into a whole new light on more than one occasion because of the differences they faced and the type of treatment they both received on the job front 
despite both being lawyers.  

With a film that intensely looks at gender equality and the battle that Ginsburg had as being recognised as a valid lawyer, there are plenty of scenes that will make anyone's blood boil a little. The montage of her trying to get a job is probably the most frustrating of all, being turned down in rapid recession with comments made about offices already having a female employee and questions about what would be to happen when she 'inevitably' falls pregnant. It's quite a frustrated scene and this is just one of many frustrating scenes that appears throughout the movie. 

I loved the relationship that she had with her daughter, the movie is set so that her daughter grows up throughout. They of course have their arguments and their ups and downs but their relationship grows stronger in the long run. One of my personal favourite moments is after being catcalled in the street, her daughter calls out the men. Ginsberg just stops in the moment and watches her daughter dealing with the situation. It's a great moment but also a slight commentary on the divide of the women's movement at the time. The slightly older generation taking to the workplace and the universities to prove their points VS the younger generation taking to the streets and protesting. 

There is one particular shot that I loved too as the final mention, in the closing moment of the film, Ginsburg is seen in a bright blue two piece suit heading to court, her bright outfit stands out against the white marble pillars she passes through. This leads into a really nice transition with an appearance from the real Ginsburg making an appearance in a similar outfit. It's a nice transition and an easy way to show that aside from the small snippet of her life shown in the movie there's so much more to her life.