Ruth Bader Ginsberg is an Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court. She is quietly spoken, serious and, at 85 years old, frail looking and small. But RBG, as she is affectionately known, is a hero who draws rockstar level adoration from an ever expanding and surprisingly youthful fan base. This documentary by film makers Julie Cohen and Betsy West attempts to explain that phenomena while at the same time paying homage to a woman whose intelligence, steel cool demeanour and uncompromising devotion to justice have made her a formidable force for women’s rights.
Cohen and West are given unprecedented access to the famously reticent Ginsberg, filming her working out with a fitness coach, being shown Ginsberg’s array of jabots (fancy collars worn with her legal robe) and even capturing Ginsberg’s giggles when she sees a comedian impersonating her on TV.
A collection of photos, film, documents and interviews helps build a fascinating portrait, from childhood to the present, of a remarkable – and yet still a little mysterious – woman.
★★★ ½
Reviewed by Rita Bratovich
