Movie Review: On the Basis of Sex

Michael's Movie Grade: D


Review: Surprisingly bland and forgettable biopic of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

This movie has one of my pet peeves in these type of movies. This is that the character feel bland, underdeveloped and never completely real. This is certainty a major problem when these characters are real people. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is anything but bland and boring in real life, so it feels sad that she had to be made such for this movie. The supporting characters are even more bland. Ruth's daughter Jane is a prime example of this. Cailee Spaeny does a good job playing her, but there seems to be no other purpose for her to be in this movie than to deliver some lines that may inspire her mother. I don't know much about Jane Ginsburg as a person, but her in real life surely can't be as lacking in personality as she is portrayed here. This movie is also as cliché and safe as a biopic can get. This movie feel so familiar that at times, I almost forgot I hadn't seen this movie before. The film simply does what so many other biopics have done better, offering nothing new or original to the formula. This can create a long two hours. The movie certainly feels long and seeing so many clichés back to back simply gets tiring. The attempts at humor are not much better. Only one joke in this movie got a laugh out of me and that was more of a chuckle. All the other jokes feel very flat.      

This movie isn't all bad though. The final speech during the climax is excellent and Felicity Jones does a great job delivering it. The film has other occasional bits of good smart dialogue, but unfortunately this is drowned out by the fact that most of the dialogue is cliché and dull.  

It is sad this movie couldn't have been better. The real life story is a fascinating one and should have been given a more interesting treatment. Unfortunately the film is simply lifeless.


-Michael J. Ruhland


Director: Mimi Leder.
Writer: Daniel Stiepleman.
Producers: Robert W. Cort, Betsy Danbury, Jonathan King, Erin F. Larsen, Karen Loop, Carlen Palau.
Cinematographer: Mychael Danna.
Cinematographer: Michael Grady.
Main Cast: Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Cailee Spaney, Justin Theroux.