Les Figures de l'ombre

A film about racial segregation (not only) at NASA and the space races from the US perspective. With regard to the former, they push it too hard, whilst in the case of the latter it kind of only brushes the surface. Moreover, it is done with a number of various inaccuracies and rather harmful simplifications - for example, if I hadn't been interested in the topic before, I would get the impression from Hidden Figures that the computer scientists at NASA were solely black women, and immediately after the closing credits I'd go looking to see if John Glenn's launch was indeed such a thrilling drama or not. Despite all of this, though, the film is nice to watch, it has a beautiful camera and great music, all three protagonists are fine, and I liked seeing Kevin Costner again. (2020-11-23)

This film not only illustrates how absurd and ongoing segregation was and perhaps still is, but it also shows how American society was - and likely still is - ossified, clinging to prejudices and nonsensical rules. Let's face it, it's not just going to be American society. Strong, humane, good, with a positive message that shouldn't be forgotten, but unfortunately, it often is. (2017-02-06)

If there is a ‘How to Get an Oscar Nomination’ manual, the creators of Hidden Figures followed it to the letter. Historical facts or logic don't seem to play a role here, quite the contrary. It's a movie custom-made for Hollywood, and I can understand that it will be unpalatable for some. However, don't expect any major criticism from me. Movies with a space theme, especially when they concern NASA, are damn close to my heart, and I can't possibly give a lower rating than 7/10 to a movie about space exploration. A relaxing film that people will like, but will they remember it in a year? (2017-02-21)

I'll admit that if it weren't for Kirsten Dunst in a supporting role, I would have definitely missed out on Hidden Figures. But Kirsten has good taste, and her name and character are well portrayed, if only in just a few images, which certainly "adorns" this sure bet. Finally, her secondary storyline and that of Jim Parsons represent the most pressing thing the main characters had to contend with. Or racial segregation, NASA, and the American response to Gagarin. It’s worth a recommendation. (2017-07-26)

An appealing struggle against racial prejudice on the grounds of the American NASA, which is really more a struggle for emancipation than for the control of space. Of course, the United States at the time was all about being first in space and staying ahead of the Soviets in everything, but this film focuses much more on the (from today's perspective) wooden age when "coloreds" had their own toilets and coffee pots. I was going to give it a strong 3 stars, however, given how briskly and with what ease it's filmed, I'll happily and happily resort to a more average 4 stars. (2019-12-10)