Being The Ricardos (2021)
SHOULD I SEE IT?
YES
With a tremendous cast and Aaron Sorkin’s unique form of storytelling, Being the Ricardos is a film eagerly anticipated.
Nicole Kidman’s portrayal of Lucille Ball may not be for everyone, but she truly is exceptional in her incarnation of the legendary comedic legend.
Fans of Old Hollywood and nostalgia will be caught up in the film’s impressive production design, glimpses behind the scenes, and overall vibe and feel Sorkin creates.
NO
With its non-linear storytelling and curious framing devices, Being the Ricardos is a movie that could be told, and presented, in a much simpler and easier way.
Some have criticized the film for being all show and no substance. Some emotional scenes are trivialized for the sake of trying to get a number of real-life events tossed into the framework of one fictional week.
Sorkin’s decisions and indulgences will drive some viewers nuts - at times, this movie cannot get out of its own way.
OUR REVIEW
Few would argue that Aaron Sorkin’s ability to write and tell stories is in the upper echelon of our most talented filmmakers. His trademark whiplash cadence of snappy dialogue and ability to swirl us in and out of flashbacks, flash-forwards and everywhere in between has been influential and co-opted by many current filmmakers.
After his previous film, 2020’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, earned multiple Oscar nominations, his third stint as director, Being the Ricardos, finds Sorkin bringing his distinctive style and flair to television history; specifically, the famed “I Love Lucy” show. Under the guise of taking us through one pivotal week behind the scenes, he lays bare all his gifts and indulgences for a film that flirts with the potential of being one of the finest of the year, but falls somewhat short with a complicated narrative and presentation.
Much has already been written about Nicole Kidman’s casting as Lucille Ball. In the initial teaser trailers, Ball was not directly shown, leading many to take to #FilmTwitter and social media and claim “they’re hiding her!” “Kidman must be terrible!”
Nothing could be further from the truth. As a matter of fact, once the viewer settles into the notion that Kidman is indeed, a) portraying the iconic Lucille Ball; and b) completely dissolves into the character Sorkin has given her, you begin to realize that this is one of the best turns of her already legendary career.
More on Kidman in a moment. Being the Ricardos is a film that seems to challenge viewers unnecessarily, while also being a pulpy, melodramatic rollercoaster of a viewing experience. To begin, the film begins with three talking heads speaking as if they are anchoring a documentary on Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem), and this eventful week during the second season of “I Love Lucy.” In reality, the three folks are actors portraying people who served as head writers and showrunner.
Ronny Cox (as writer Bob Carroll, Jr.), Linda Lavin (as writer Madeline Pugh), and John Rubenstein (as producer Jess Oppenheimer) not only open the film, but they routinely pop in and out adding context or facts to what we have just seen. Because they are recognizable as themselves, the gimmick doesn’t quite stick and older viewers may not be alone in thinking, “What’s the actress from ‘Alice’ doing talking about the ‘I Love Lucy’ show?” Or, “What, that’s the guy in…what was the name of that movie?!”
Setting that aside, the rat-a-tat-tat of dialogue Sorkin is known for comes crisp and clean. With title cards separating events into individual days, we start Monday with a table read for the upcoming Friday night episode, performed in front of a live audience. Cigar and cigarette smoke float around like a gossip writer looking for a major scoop. Cynicism abounds, tensions are present. And the production design work of Jon Hutman and Ellen Brill give us a playground where many of the film’s major events unfold.
Infidelity. Communism. Pregnancy. Bad novice directors. Marriage troubles. Ego fights. Angling for future opportunities. What doesn’t happen in this magical week? Sorkin has admitted that he fudged the timeline/ Though the events depicted are true, they happened during a long period of time, not a mere work week.
All of that is fine, of course, but Sorkin tosses things around willy-nilly. Linear and logical storytelling veers into frequent flashbacks. Suddenly, Kidman looks much younger and we are back in the 1940s, where Ball is trying to make it as a dramatic actor and have her acting talents taken seriously. Then, our talking heads interject some new information and we land somewhere else in this whirlwind of a timeline. I’m not saying you need a flowchart to track all of these shifts, but wow - why so much time-hopping?
As Desi Arnaz, Bardem portrays a kind and warm-hearted man, who seems to be suppressing some “bad boy” tendencies. Together with Kidman, the two Oscar winners make a crackling team. We seldom doubt that Desi loves Lucy and vice versa, and believe he truly wants to help make her as big a success as possible. However, rumors of his failings as a spouse, running in the tabloids and the trades, leave Ball demanding answers. Though exhibiting calm, poise, and confidence, Bardem is not afraid to let some of Desi’s imperfections peek through.
Kidman simply dazzles. While some of the makeup design and smoothing techniques are startling at first, her creation of Ball captures all the wide-eyed optimism of someone getting a chance at their big break, and the punishing realities of rejection, doubt, and stress a celebrity career imposes on those who find that elusive success. Kidman locks into Ball’s comedic timing, while also brandishing a toughness that showcases her determined, driven desire to define her career on her terms. The one constant throughout Being the Ricardos is Kidman, navigating multiple decades and storylines with a presence that draws us in.
Sorkin always casts well and his ensemble here is largely fantastic. Nina Arianda blossoms as Vivian Vance (Ethel Mertz on the show), whose strong dislike of co-star William Frawley (who played Fred Mertz, her on-screen husband) is balanced by a cutting, biting sarcasm from another Oscar winner in the cast, J.K. Simmons.
In their younger forms, we see the struggle, negotiations, and demands placed up the two writers (played in flashback by Jake Lacy and Alia Shawkat) and producer (Tony Hale) from the “documentary” footage. Through all of it, the messiness and cutthroat nature of 1950s Hollywood remains present and on display.
For fans of the show, and Old Hollywood enthusiasts, there is a lot to like here. Sorkin has researched his screenplay to the nth degree and he holds nothing back in giving us an omniscient view of the stress and strain the “I Love Lucy” show caused for Ball and Arnaz, and really everyone involved. Through Daniel Pemberton’s moving and reflective score, we feel the emotions being displayed and the stakes at play.
Sorkin packs so much into Being the Ricardos, one cannot help but wonder if an episodic series would have suited the project better. Sorkin out-thinks himself a lot here. By balancing the framing device of a modern documentary with a two-decade swing through Lucy and Desi’s relationship, and a series of flashbacks within those flashback scenes, the whole approach begins to grow tiresome and the film starts to overwhelm and feel cumbersome.
That lack of restraint threatens to undo an otherwise thoughtful and well-studied film. Sorkin is seldom, if ever, boring. His style and approach makes that nearly impossible. With a great cast at the top of their game, and Kidman delivering one of the finest performances of the year, Being the Ricardos is, flaws and all, an easy film to recommend.
CAST & CREW
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Nina Arianda, J.K. Simmons, Jake Lacy, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, John Rubenstein, Linda Lavin, Ronny Cox, Clark Gregg
Director: Aaron Sorkin
Written by: Aaron Sorkin
Release Date: December 10, 2021
Amazon Studios