On the Basis of Sex

Based on true events, On the Basis of Sex follows law professor/struggling lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsberg (Felicity Jones) as she and her husband (Armie Hammer’s Martin) take on a case involving sexual discrimination and the unconstitutionality of the U.S. tax code. Filmmaker Mimi Leder delivers a watchable yet hopelessly forgettable biopic that contains few elements worth getting excited about or engrossed by, as On the Basis of Sex, written by Daniel Stiepleman, has been hard-wired with a decidedly bland sensibility that’s reflected in its various attributes – with the picture, by and large, coming off as a more polished, better acted movie-of-the-week. It’s clear, then, that the film does benefit substantially from its raft of above-average performances, with Jones and Hammer’s strong work heightened by the efforts of a colorful supporting cast that includes Justin Theroux, Kathy Bates, and Stephen Root. There’s little doubt, as well, that On the Basis of Sex does improve slightly as it progresses, with the second half’s emphasis on the aforementioned case paving the way for a fairly interesting climactic stretch – which ultimately cements the movie’s place as an informative (and entirely by-the-numbers) bit of real-life storytelling.

**1/2 out of ****