Ruth Bader Ginsburg – Christian Sauvé

On the Basis of Sex (2018)

ByChristian Sauvé 2019-11-032023-03-19 Movie Review

(On Cable TV, November 2019) The rise of US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as a modern folk heroine is as unlikely as it is heartening in these times where lawlessness seems to be the norm for the highest office in the land. The Notorious RBG was a documentary account of her entire career, and it’s perfectly complemented by On the Basis of Sex, which chooses to focus on a very specific period of her life in order to illustrate her character … and provide a bit of an origins story as well. It begins with an extended prologue in which she goes to law school in the early 1960s (experiencing a predictable amount of sexism along the way), supports her husband throughout serious illness, has trouble getting a job as a practising lawyer and eventually joins faculty at a New York University. But the story really begins when she becomes aware of a sexual discrimination case involving a man being denied benefits on the sole basis of being male. Sensing an opportunity for establishing gender equality, she takes up the case and the film ends up chronicling her progress through a legal victory. On the Basis of Sex offers a stirring demonstration of rising to the challenge (her never having pleaded in court before taking on the case), benefiting from the support of her husband and using the law to break discrimination. It’s certainly an inspiring plea for the power of the judicial process—in addition to all of the usual arguments regarding the courts as instruments of social progress, there’s a really clever scene in which taxation is demonstrated to embody the values of its society (something that later feeds into her own victory). The historical accuracy of the film is reportedly quite high, what with the script having been written by Ginsburg’s nephew. There’s certainly something heartening in seeing her in a loving relationship with her husband, who provides a lot of support (emotional and otherwise) to her during the case. Felicity Jones is quite likable as Ginsburg, with Armie Hammer getting a good role as her husband; Kathy Bates also has a short but very visible role. It’s also a welcome return to the big screen for director Mimi Leder, who had been sent in exile far too long after the underwhelming Pay it Forward—it’s good to have her back, and her work here is as good as these historical dramas can hope for. While On the Basis of Sex does not reach outside the confines of its biopic form, it’s not a bad watch for audiences interested in the law, in equality and in one Supreme Court Justice who ended up capturing the popular imagination.

Movie Review

RBG (2018)

ByChristian Sauvé 2019-02-172020-09-06 Movie Review

(On TV, February 2019) These are weird times we’re living in, and such a chaotic period call for unlikely heroes. So it’s been both amusing and comforting to see the last few years bring eighty-something Ruth Bader Ginsburg to pop-culture stardom, with young people and memes transforming “The Notorious R.B.G.” Supreme Court Justice into one of the few beacons of progressivism in a right-leaning political environment. RBG uses that “RGB mania” as its initial springboard into an exploration of the judge’s life and views, from battling early discrimination as a female law student in the 1950s to her involvement in landmark decisions on gender equality. She shows up in some of the film’s footage as a sit-down interview subject, but much of RBG is spent talking to various other people (including Bill Clinton, explaining the process through which he appointed her to the Court). There’s quite a bit of archival footage—including her confirmation hearings—mixed in between more contemporary material. The film does offer a strong and intelligible portrait of her role in rolling back gender discrimination in the United States. RBG also features a good primer on the changing nature of US politics and Supreme Court members, forcing her from the centre to the left. The result can be surprisingly funny, inspiring and touching at times, especially in the segments that focus on the role that her husband played in her life. [November 2019: While a great documentary, RBG is probably best seen alongside On the Basis of Sex, a fictional take on Bader-Gingsburg’s early years that almost perfectly complements the material covered here.]