Bombshell

Starring: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow, Allison Janney, Malcolm McDowell, Kate McKinnon, Connie Britton, Liv Hewson, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Rob Delaney, Mark Duplass, Stephen Root, Richard Kind, Jennifer Morrison, Ashley Greene, Alice Eve, Madeline Zima
Directed by: Jay Roach
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2019

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Several women take a stand against Fox News head Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) and the toxic environment of sexual harassment he presided over.

Review:

Tim: Bombshell is a highly effective and shocking look at the fall of Fox News head (and overall horrible person), Roger Ailes. However, it must be noted that Ailes is a supporting character here. We instead focus on the stories of three women who work at Fox. This was such a terrific way to do this- we minimize Ailes and we celebrate the strength of these women. This might not quite reach a level of greatness, but it's a highly effective, memorable movie.

This movie might not quite have been in director Jay Roach's wheelhouse, but he's a talented director and is able to make the leap effectively. I've been a fan of Roach for quite a while- Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Meet the Parents, and Meet the Fockers are all great comedies. Roach seems to be following the Adam McKay model, going from silly comedies to contemporary dramas about important events. This movie is a data point of one, but it suggests Roach will be equally successful making the leap. This is a really good movie.

I found the look into Fox News absolutely fascinating. That organization has done incredible harm to the country and it's not surprising that it would have a company culture like what's depicted here. I followed the Ailes story at a high level, but I didn't understand the details. Roach approaches the story with this combination of human concern and clinical distance. The movie feels like it's trying to tell you the facts, but it ends up caring about these people more than it expected to. That's the sense you get from watching this movie. Megyn Kelly is not a role model and has done things to hurt America. However, here, you get to understand her a bit better. It was fascinating to see her depicted in this light, knowing full well the other side of the coin. The movie moves along at a good clip- the movie is 1 hour, 49 minutes, but it feels shorter. I really appreciated how Roach held our attention and moved forward so that there wasn't a dull moment.

The cast was excellent. I cannot say enough about Charlize Theron's performance. She has long been one of the best actresses working today, and this just further cements that legacy. She absolutely transforms into Kelly. I continually did double takes looking at her. It's not just her appearance (which is stunning), but she does something with her voice that was truly excellent. It's amazing how she embodied this character. Theron is the most visible, memorable aspect of this film. I truly loved her performance. I really liked Nicole Kidman, it just felt like she didn't get enough to do. She was so good in every scene and I desperately wanted more time with her character. She too often felt like an afterthought. I'm a big Margot Robbie fan, too. She makes some bad movies, but she truly has talent. In this film, she slips into her role perfectly. It felt like she was comfortable being part of an ensemble. She is able to convey a wide range of emotions and shows us the complexity of her character. Robbie was fantastic here. I can't say enough about this as the main reason to see this movie- you have three incredible talents in Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie. I absolutely loved seeing these three together in the movie. They might not have much time together, but they're all excellent.

The supporting cast was great, too. You have to applaud John Lithgow for completely disappearing into Roger Ailes. He was nearly unrecognizable, yet still manages to give a superb performance. Allison Janney and Malcolm McDowell don't have much to do, but their presence was welcome. I dislike Kate McKinnon, but she was so good here. She was much better showing restraint. I enjoyed her performance. It was fun seeing Alice Eve, Madeline Zima, Richard Kind, and Jennifer Morrison. None of them get enough to do, but it was fun seeing them. As a whole, the cast works so well.

The script is really good, too. It moves back-and-forth between a focus on the facts and telling the story of what happened, while also trying to establish an emotional connection with the characters. It works well and it's the biggest reason this movie is so effective. That being said, there's a lot going on here and you can't help but wish we were able to focus on fewer people, or just get more time with some of them. Roach's film is effective, but it's missing the emotional punch that a film like The Big Short delivered. Keeping with the Adam McKay comparison, this movie is much closer to Vice- a thoroughly good movie, but missing something that prevents it from achieving greatness. I was mentally invested in this film, but it didn't quite reach deeply enough on an emotional level.

While Bombshell doesn't quite reach my top 10 of 2019, it's a film that absolutely deserves to be in the conversation of effective, entertaining movies from that year. I was glad that Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie both got Academy Award nominations (Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress). They both deserved that recognition. The film did win 1 Academy Award, for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. I've touched on that already- with the way these actors were transformed to resemble their real-life counterparts, this was a deserving award. I would highly recommend this movie, it was entertaining, informative, and truly enjoyable.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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