I wasn’t planning to review Bombshell. I saw it weeks ago. When it went wide on December 20, it did rather poorly at the box office. Apparently, a drama about sexual harassment wasn’t what people wanted to see right before Christmas. Go figure. I assumed it would be forgotten. Then on Monday, January 13, it was unduly rewarded with three Oscar nominations. Seven weeks later it’s still hanging on for dear life in theaters.
Bombshell is based on the accounts of several women at Fox News who decided to bring a case against chairman and CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment. It features a triumvirate of star power in the form of three actresses. Charlize Theron portrays the very real news anchor Megyn Kelly and Margot Robbie plays a fictional associate producer named Kayla Pospisil – a character based on a composite of witnesses. Pospisil’s uncomfortable private meeting with Roger Ailes is the acting reel highlight of the entire picture. Both actresses garnered regrettable Oscar nods. Either slot could’ve been filled by a host of far more deserving candidates: Awkwafina, Lupita Nyong’o, Jennifer Lopez, Zhao Shuzhen…I could go on. Ironically the Academy actually failed to honor the best performance in the production. That would be Nicole Kidman as “Fox & Friends” co-host Gretchen Carlson. Her no-nonsense portrayal is the heart of this film that sets everything in motion.
I will defend one of Bombshell‘s nominations to the hilt, however. The MVP is makeup artist Kazuhiro Tsuji who won an Academy Award for transforming Gary Oldman into Winston Churchill for The Darkest Hour. He’s responsible for the uncanny physical modifications of this production too. John Lithgow plays Roger Ailes under pounds of old age fat makeup. Charlize Theron, in particular, looks eerily like Megyn Kelly. She is changed but in an intangible way. You don’t realize her subtle alteration is due to makeup.
Bombshell is a moderately captivating piece of entertainment. Nevertheless, you won’t feel you’ve learned anything new or that the subject has been explored with even a modicum of depth. It’s is a slick movie with no teeth. This story deserved a deeper and more intelligent handling. This is directed by Jay Roach (Austin Powers, Meet the Parents) and written by Charles Randolph who was a co-writer on The Big Short. The atmosphere here has that same comedic style — giving you details at a snappy pace but without the complexity that the subject demands. The tone is flippant and irreverent. Fans of Fox News won’t enjoy being mocked and people seeking a hard-hitting takedown aren’t going to feel any satisfaction either. Just who exactly is the audience for this movie?
12-15-19
5 Responses
Nicole Kidman was the highlight of the movie. It was ok. 3 stars
I didn’t realize this had received three Oscar noms. That is indeed incredibly frustrating considering the snubs.
It’s a testament to the star power of Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie that both of their performances managed to get an Oscar nomination.
I too found Kidman the best performance of the blond bombshell trifecta. And agree with everything else you said. It’s fine, but super aimless.
I’m actually predicting Bombshell will win one Oscar (for Best Makeup and Hairstyling) which would make it one more Oscar than I think The Irishman will win. Will Martin Scorsese’s movie actually go 0/10 at the Oscars this year? That would be rather sad if I am right.