A One Mann’s Movies review of “Bombshell” (2020).
Bob the Movie Man’s Rating:
Certification:
US: R. UK: 15.
This is a curious one. I wonder whether the audience reaction to this one will polarize along gender lines as it did for us? For I thought this one was “good, but nothing special”… but the illustrious Mrs Movie Man thought it was excellent and would be MEMORABLE”. (Now, that’s quite a statement for her. Since, as I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, my beloved has a wonderful affliction in being able to forget a film almost the day after she watches it… as in “Bruce Willis” a ghost?!”; “HE was Keiser Soze?!”; “The woman has a penis???!” – you get the idea). Hmm.. we’ll see!
Chameleon-like acting. It took me quite a while to realise that this was Charlize Theron (Source: Lionsgate).
Blondes under attack.
The movie is based on the true story of the first “Me Too” case against a prominent man in power. Before Harvey Weinstein (allegedly!) there was Roger Ailes (John Lithgow), CEO of the Fox Network. Under the shadowy gaze of the Murdoch brothers (Ben Lawson and Josh Lawson), Ailes rules Fox with a rod of iron. Unfortunately, it’s Ailes’ – ahem – ‘rod of iron’ that is part of the problem.
Excellent make-up. John Lithgow as former Fox CEO Roger Ailes. (Source: popsugar.co.uk).
Three women are at the centre of the drama.
- Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) is a leading anchorwoman, fighting her own battles in a man’s world. She is currently in trouble with 50% of the US population for taking a firm stand on-screen against Trump’s treatment of women.
- Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) is a broadcaster approaching her 50’s and being shunted progressively towards the door, via afternoon shows, in favour of ‘younger models’;
- Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie) is a keen new-starter, ambitious and keen as mustard to impress her bosses, including Ailes.
The three women seldom interact (a scene in a lift is a study in awkwardness) but are all on different stages of the same journey.
Kate McKinnon and Margot Robbie make an interesting couple. (Source: Lionsgate).
Blending reality with fiction, Adam MacKay- style.
I seldom tend to read reviews before seeing the film, but I obviously sometimes catch a glimpse of a comment or two. I clearly saw one which referenced the movie as being “Adam McKay-like” but went in assuming that McKay (“Vice“, “The Big Short“) was the director of this one. For that reason, I was puzzled. Yes, there were occasions where the actors broke the 4th wall; and there were little visual tricks (a burned in Fox logo for example) that entertained. But it wasn’t the close-to-the-edge rollercoaster of innovation that I have come to expect from a McKay film.
When the titles rolled, it was an “Aha” moment! Actually, the director is the Austin Powers director Jay Roach. Not that he hasn’t done drama as well: he did the Bryan Cranston vehicle “Trumbo” a few years back. And another MacKay link is the writer: the screenplay is by Charles Randolph, the writer of “The Big Short“.
A surprisingly and subtly tense scene in the lift – the only one to feature the three stars together. (Source: Lionsgate).
Brilliant female performances
The leading ladies in this really are leading, with Charlize Theron picking up a well-deserved Best Actress Oscar nomination and Margot Robbie getting the Best Supporting nom. Theron is brilliant in everything she does, and here she is chameleon-like in disappearing into her character. I wasn’t as sure about Robbie early in the film, but an excruciating “twirl” for Ailes is brilliantly done and an emotional scene during a date is Oscar-reel worthy.
Great supporting turns come from “The West Wing’s” Allison Janney and from Kate McKinnon. McKinnon was the most annoying thing in “Yesterday“, as the brash US agent, but here she is effective as the lesbian friend of Kayla.
Holding up the male end (as it were) is a fantastic performance from John Lithgow (surprisingly overlooked during the awards season) and Malcolm McDowell delivering an uncanny Rupert Murdoch.
Nice impersonation. McDowell as Rupert Murdoch. (Source: elle.com)
Worthy, well-performed but I just didn’t find it gripping.
Overall, the “Me Too” movement has created an earthquake in popular culture. Many more movies featuring strong female leads have appeared in the last few years, and that’s great. This is a reminder of the time before that, when men openly used their power to force unwanted sex on employees. And its horrifying and disconcerting to watch.
And it was a good movie. But it just wasn’t a “wow” movie for me.
A female audience will by definition have more experience of this than a male one. And it is undoubtedly a tough time to be a heterosexual white male at the moment! (I know… “poor things” all you minorities are screaming at the screen now!). Perhaps there is a sense of ‘collective guilt’ that we blokes need to work through. And perhaps that’s a subconscious reason why I didn’t 100% engage with the film. (Though I’d like to make it perfectly clear that I don’t have any skeletons in that particular closet!)
Trailer
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2G9-KhBek8.
