Review of On the Basis of Sex (2018) by Scott Z — 25 Dec 2018

My issue with this movie is the amount of cliches. It's quite literally a movie about how a woman doesn't have to conform to society, but the movie opens with the message that it's ok!! Ruth is a wife and a mother and gets up to take care of a crying baby in between reading briefs and has sex with her husband when he propositions it so don't worry hets she isn't trying to take away your special little world!! Except - that's not reality.

While these things happened the way its portrayed seemingly isn't even about Ruth and her thoughts and journey until halfway through the film, in fact this movie barely passes the Bechdel test for a movie about women.

Which brings me to the pacing problems. We don't get to know her until we see how her children react to her, which leaves you waiting for 45 minutes instead to watch what? an out of place sex scene while the camera pans away in a way thats been done since probably 1982 simply to remind you how hot Armie Hammer is? That was another thing, the camera work was cliche.

The colors were nice and some shots were framed interestingly enough, but everything was so clearly done with a lot of money and not very much thought. A story like this deserved more and instead it was a beacon of white cis feminism over 30's can jerk themselves off to.

I did like the casting and I thought some interactions were brilliantly acted, but god, take some time when you're doing a project like this because it turns so transparent once you look at literally any other inspirational film of its time.