Bombshell (2019)
SHOULD I SEE IT?
YES
Ripped from the headlines, news anchor Gretchen Carlson’s story surrounding her leaving cable news outlet Fox News comes to the big screen with a star-studded cast and plenty of controversy.
Built around three strong female performances from Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie, with a nasty, but effective John Lithgow turn, Bombshell is built around impressive performances.
One has to wonder if those who would benefit from watching this will take the time to see the film. If for nothing else, Carlson’s story should not be sidelined any longer.
NO
Bombshell is an exercise in frustration, undercutting its importance with an inability to know what type of film it wants to be. Why is some of this played as a comedy?
Sadly, Bombshell cannot rise above the political polarization in our country to speak beyond both sides of the aisle. Maybe it was an impossible task, but supporters of Fox News will likely feel this is a hit piece, and anti-Fox News viewers will revel in its “gotcha” tendencies.
Sorry (not sorry) to go there, but I cannot help but wonder what this movie would look like if a woman had either written it, directed it, or both?
OUR REVIEW
Pitched as something of an origin story to the #MeToo movement and the stepping forward of countless women who have endured sexual harassment or unwanted advances, Bombshell is a film with a powerful trio of female actors and a disappointing lack of direction as a film or a story.
Liberals may also be unable to mask a snicker and side-eye that comes with this story being borne out of the newsroom and corporate offices of Fox News, the conservative news outlet whose evening pundits preach about religious freedom and Christian values, while execrating the perceived elitism and morality preaching of the liberal left. The reality of a story like Bombshell is that no one can claim the moral high ground when liberals and conservatives alike in the workplace, much less in the entertainment industry, have victimized women for decades.
More to the point: Bombshell emanates from the story of Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman), who stepped forward and filed a sexual harassment case against her former boss, then-Fox News CEO Roger Ailes (John Lithgow), following her termination from the network in 2016. Carlson’s attorney claimed that nearly a dozen women were ready to come forward and make similar allegations against Ailes, though he fiercely denied any allegations and/or wrongdoing.
A tipping point would come weeks later, with revelations from Fox News’ most popular evening host, Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron, in a stunning portrayal), that she also was subject to unwanted sexual advances from Ailes at the beginning of her stint at Fox in 2006. Fox Network owners Rupert Murdoch (Malcolm McDowell), and sons Lachlan and James (Ben Lawson, James Lawson) had no choice - they made the move to oust Ailes and hoped to restore some order and civility with Fox News.
If Bombshell just trusted that this sequence of events would be enough to convey the fact that women’s abuse in the workplace is systemic and can happen virtually anywhere, then director Jay Roach (The Campaign, Trumbo, the Austin Powers films) would have likely hit this story and film out of the park. Instead, Roach, along with writer Charles Randolph (The Big Short), seems to be stuck perpetuating that snicker and side-eye, which ultimately gets in the way of any true objectivity with their film.
The film’s inability to find a lane is deeply frustrating, especially when Kidman, Theron, and Margot Robbie all deliver great performances. Kidman locks into Carlson’s determination and resolve in presenting the news her way, almost in defiance of the particular “brand” of female anchors Ailes wants on his network.
Robbie shines in playing a composite character, Kayla Pospisil, whose strict Christian upbringing seems to be a perfect fit for the Fox newsroom, but faces some surprising complications when she catches the eye of segment producer (and Hillary Clinton supporter), Jess (Kate McKinnon).
The striking standout in the cast is Theron, whose transformation into Megyn Kelly is staggering to witness. While working with makeup and prosthetics, Theron captures Kelly’s distinctive voice and mannerisms masterfully, her presence simply remarkable. She gives yet another brilliant performance, never outshining her castmates. The trap doors are all around Theron, she is given significant opportunity to run away with the movie, but her restraint and steely focus helps us believe that Kelly leads with a command that has her earn and demand respect in equal measure.
Beyond that, Bombshell is just a messy, messy movie.
What begins as a mockumentary of sorts, with Kelly talking directly to the camera (Randolph used a similar tactic at times with The Big Short), the film feels lighter than it should be, with comedy oddly slotted in next to dramatic scenes. When a scene works powerfully, such as an appropriately uncomfortable altercation between Kayla and Ailes, Theodore Shapiro’s score fails to read the room, whiplashing the film’s commentary with music that can dramatically agitate the film’s approach and intent.
Throughout, we get mixed messages beyond the obvious, surface-level statements being made. One has to wonder if Carlson is pleased with seeing her story mishandled in such a manner. Distracting cameos resemble a “who’s-who” of Fox News personalities for no discernible reason, unless they exist to somehow implicate familiar names in a culture that allows the Roger Ailes’ of the world to benefit and prosper.
Setting politics aside, Bombshell just flails around, similarly to how Adam McKay’s Vice could never find a tone or point consistent with the heavy impact of its subject matter. While Theron, Kidman, and Robbie are at the top of their game, they run circles around a director and a screenplay caught up in its very own existence.
Sadly, like the culture it rightfully tries to criticize, it relegates females to the background while puffing up its own chest to stand loud and proud. What a significant disappointment. Carlson, for one, deserves better.
CAST & CREW
Starring: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow, Allison Janney, Malcolm McDowell, Kate McKinnon, Connie Britton, Liv Hewson, Mark Duplass, Rob Delaney, Stephen Root, Ben Lawson, Josh Lawson, Alanna Ubach, Bree Condon, D’Arcy Carden, Richard Kind, Ashley Greene, Ahna O’Reilly, Alice Eve.
Director: Jay Roach
Written by: Charles Randolph
Release Date: December 13, 2019
Lionsgate