On The Basis Of Sex (2018)

[Thomas T]

Title: On the Basis of Sex (2018)

Tagline: Her story made history.

Genre: Drama

Director: Mimi Leder

Cast: Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, Sam Waterston, Kathy Bates, Cailee Spaeny, Callum Shoniker, Jack Reynor, Stephen Root, Ronald Guttman, Chris Mulkey, Gary Werntz, Francis X. McCarthy, Ben Carlson, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Amanda MacDonald, Karl Graboshas, Angela Galuppo, Joe Cobden, Dawn Ford, Michael Dickson, Holly Gauthier-Frankel, Jeff Lillico, Arthur Holden, Gabrielle Graham, Wendy Crewson

Release: 2018-12-25

Plot: Young lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg teams with her husband Marty to bring a groundbreaking case before the U.S. Court of Appeals and overturn a century of gender discrimination.

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/339380-on-the-basis-of-sex

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'll be seeing this film as I'm a sucker for legal films that are based on real events.

 

[Thomas T]

I'll be seeing this film as I'm a sucker for legal films that are based on real events.

I'm seeing an advance screening November 15th.

 

[TravisR]

I'm a sucker for any movie with that good of a cast.

 

[Nick*Z]

Looks very good indeed.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I assume since this is going limited on Christmas that I won't end up seeing it until next year at some point when it widens. But I expect to go to it whenever that should happen. It looks fairly standard in structure from the trailer, but Felicity Jones is so good, and it's quite a supporting cast as well.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I'm a sucker for any movie with that good of a cast.

Also, Mimi Leder has been quietly doing great work for years. Armageddon was the hit of 1998, but Deep Impact was the better giant asteroid movie. Pay It Forward wasn't anywhere near perfect, but it was a better movie than you'd expect from that screenplay. And her work as a director on all three seasons of "The Leftovers", and as the producing director for the last two seasons, is among the most artistically significant television I've experienced.

 

[Jake Lipson]

New trailer:

 

[benbess]

Looking forward to this movie.

I'd love a big budget TV series about the Supreme Court, perhaps starting in the early 1930s, which is when the current building for that branch of government was finally completed. Over the past decade I've read several books about various eras of Supreme Court history, as well as bios of notable justices. Fascinating stuff. In my mind I envision episodes that go back and forth between the court and the people involved in key cases that sometimes had an impact on history.

 

[Thomas T]

Well, back from an afternoon screening of On The Basis Of Sex. Good but not great. It's really nothing more than a good HBO movie but the acting is excellent. But I think in today's political climate, its message is more timely than ever.

 

[Jake Lipson]

An email I just received from Focus indicates this will be going wide January 11, but it must be expanding before that because my theater has just posted times for January 4, with Thursday previews beginning January 3.

The more I see the trailer, the more I am thinking I can actually take a pass on this one. The cast is a great group for sure, but it feels like I already know exactly how the film will play out -- and I'm not referring to the events being history, but more in the sense of the trailer making explicit what feels to be every beat in the film, if that makes sense.

 

[Jeff Adkins]

An email I just received from Focus indicates this will be going wide January 11, it must be expanding before that because my theater has just posted times for January 4, with Thursday previews beginning January 3.

The more I see the trailer, the more I am thinking I can actually take a pass on this one. The cast is a great group for sure, but it feels like I already know exactly how the film will play out -- and I'm not referring to the events being history, but more in the sense of the trailer making explicit what feels to be every beat in the film, if that makes sense.

Good the know. I have three films coming up right now on my list to see that I have no idea when we're getting:

Destroyer
If Beale Street Could Talk
On The Basis Of Sex

At least I won't have to wait too long for this one. Beale Street expands on Christmas day, but not here. I assume we'll get it a week or two later. Another one I'm looking forward to is Stan & Ollie, but Sony has a release schedule up for that. We have to wait almost a month (1/25) after the NY/LA release (12/28).

 

[Jake Lipson]

Deadline says Beale Street will be wide by January 18, but we are due to get it on January 4. I have no idea on Destroyer.

 

[steve jaros]

I saw OTBS yesterday, and I was reasonably entertained. The only RBG I have ever known is the old supreme court justice, so it was nice to see a portrayal of her in her formative years. Felicity Jones and Justin Theroux are excellent and yes, even Armie Hammer is passable. Also, the film captures a sense of time and place even as it skips across about 20 years of time.

BTW, I am not a fan of RBG's ideology, as I am conservative. Nevertheless, i do admire her for her remarkable achievements. The film is obviously a paen to her and doesn't address counter-arguments to her constitutional philosophy, but there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Saw this tonight. Liked the story, as it was interesting to see RBG's formative days, but the movie felt awfully "by the numbers".

The "villains" are cartoony to an extreme, and the film sets up plot points in an obvious, hamfisted manner. There's nothing inventive or creative - it's a "by the book" biopic without any real spark involved.

Given RBG's pioneering career, this feels like a misstep. A cultural icon as unusual as RBG needs a movie with more of an attitude and a willingness to break from the pack.

Instead, "Basis" seems safe as warm milk. There's not a surprise to be found, so biopic cliches abound.

The cast do well - even if Jones' accent doesn't always stick - and the inherent value of RBG's story makes sure the viewer stays with the film.

But it still seems like a missed opportunity to do something more challenging and daring. This is a pleasant movie without anything creative on display...

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Oh, and I think the movie should've ended

Spoiler

with the shot of the real RBG as she ascended the steps. That was both a surprise - I had no idea she was involved - and a powerful way to conclude the film.

The "what happened next" summaries of the major character deflated the impact of the "real RBG" shot...

 

[benbess]

Liked it! A-

 

[Robert Crawford]

Liked it! A-

Same here! My score is 4.5 on a scale of 1-5.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Oh, and I think the movie should've ended

Spoiler

with the shot of the real RBG as she ascended the steps. That was both a surprise - I had no idea she was involved - and a powerful way to conclude the film.

The "what happened next" summaries of the major character deflated the impact of the "real RBG" shot...

I don't think so as

Spoiler

I kept that image of her ascending those steps while reading those excerpts.

 

[Robert Crawford]

The cast do well - even if Jones' accent doesn't always stick - and the inherent value of RBG's story makes sure the viewer stays with the film.

I caught that too as I could hear her Brit accent a bit and then out of nowhere her attempt at a Brooklyn accent.