SPACE RACISM - My Review of HIDDEN FIGURES (3 Stars) Good intentions do not always make for a great movie, and HIDDEN FIGURES has a true tale well worth telling, but unfortunately the writing and directing get in the way. Director Theodore Melfi (the way-too-mushy for its own good ST. VINCENT) and his co-screenwriter Allison Schroeder obviously mean well. The world is a better place because they've shined a light on the unsung black women who made essential contributions for NASA, especially during the early 60s space race with Russia. I'm just not convinced they were the right people to do said shining. That central trio, Taraji P. Henson as Katherine Johnson, a math prodigy, Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughan, a computer expert and leader, and Janelle Monáe as Mary Jackson, who aspired to become an engineer, battled segregation, sexism, and racism in their quest to take their place at the table and help such people as John Glenn rocket into space and return home safely. Of course, they did so during a time where black people had to sit in the back of the bus and use separate bathrooms. These are women everyone should know and celebrate, and for that I'm extremely grateful to have seen the movie. If only it didn't have that 80s sheen to it. Take, for example, the movie CRY FREEDOM from 1987, in which we witnessed the plight of Steven Biko (Denzel Washington) through the eyes of a white journalist played by Kevin Kline. I wouldn't go so far as to say HIDDEN FIGURES has been whitewashed to that extent. After all, the story has been told firmly from the three central figures. The white supporting characters, however, are played by name actors (Kevin Costner, Kristen Dunst, and Jim Parsons), and they represent a spectrum of white attitudes towards their black co-workers. While Dunst and Parsons exhibit subtle levels of racism, Costner treats everyone the same, with a gruff indifference and expectations of extreme professionalism. Progress! Each woman gets her chance to take on the institutionalized racism of the time with big splashy scenes. One moment, however, caused me to roll my eyes ever so slightly, when Costner gets his big scene to take a stand against it. Yes, it's nice to see a white guy defend his black co-workers, especially in such a hugely symbolic way, but I think the women handled things just fine on their own. It almost felt like the filmmakers didn't trust the audience enough to hate racism unless a white guy had his own statement. I was waiting for Henson to pull a colleague aside in that scene and say, "We need to talk about Kevin!" Let me be clear. The above-mentioned are minor quibbles compared to the general aesthetic of the film itself. HIDDEN FIGURES is pristine, old school filmmaking. Mandy Walker's cinematography and Wynn Thomas' production design amply demonstrate their big, glossy studio resumes. In other words, this film lacks grit. The wardrobe and the cars look like they've never met a speck of dirt. Every pleat in Henson's skirts are ironed within an inch of their lives. There was no reason to think that the characters wouldn't break out into song at any given moment or that our protagonists would band together and hogtie Parsons ala 9 TO 5. It's all just a little too pretty and safe for its own good. Regardless, the performances are wonderful, in a surface-level way. While we never dive too deeply, Henson makes cat eye glasses and chalk sexy again! Spencer knows how to throw shade with her direct eye contact and subtle half smile. Monáe, who made a fantastic debut in MOONLIGHT, again proves her exceptional acting skills here, but her flawless beauty can be a little distracting at times. Luckily, she infuses her character with enough raw spunk, she gets away with it I'm not saying that this film should have been made by black filmmakers. Denzel Washington recently gave an interview for FENCES in which he said that he was a good match for the culture portrayed in the film, and not just because he's black. He said he knew that a guy like Troy would spill a little of his alcohol on the ground before drinking it himself as a way to pay respects to black men in prison. That's just something you either know or you don't. HIDDEN FIGURES, while really vivd and expressive when it comes to showing us math equations, doesn't give us that level of personal detail. Sure, Ava DuVernay would have been an obvious choice, but I would have also liked to have seen what Todd Haynes or Sean S. Baker would have done with the source material. Instead, we're left with a populist film. It's easily digestible for the masses, and that may be why it has been made the way it has. It's essential viewing, but not essential filmmaking.