Hidden Figures is one of the best films I have seen for a long time. A great story, a terrific screenplay, excellent direction by Theodore Melfi and a fantastic cast. Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe are Katherine Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, a trio of Nasa scientists who each played their part in sending astronaut John Glenn (the first American to orbit the Earth) into space in 1962. The mix of comedy and drama works really well, it moves along at a good pace and we are rooting for the three heroines to the last scenes. Excellent.
Why did I not feel that Moonlight deserved the Oscar for best film? It was a good enough drama, with great cinematography and good performances. But somehow the sum of the parts did not add to a fine whole. Although so well made, there was nothing that actually stirred any emotion. It seemed so flat compared with Hidden Figures and Manchester by the Sea.
Inside Viceroy's House was a great story about the final days of English rule in India and the political machinations of partition. But the parallel romantic drama about two young Indians was pure Bollywood and did not fit easily with the main action. I found the screenplay to be lumpy with the starry British cast sometimes seeming to be cringing at the dialogue. Director Gurinder Chadha actually seemed happier with scenes that involved the locals. This was definitely a worthy attempt at explaining a critical piece of history, but one that ultimately could have been so much better.
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