Bombshell (B+ or 3/4 stars)
2 words: toxic masculinity. Before the Harvey Weinstein mess & the ensuing #MeToo movement, the most prominent example of sexual misconduct allegations involved predatory CEO Roger Ailes being forced out from his position at Fox News in 2016 and, 'Bombshell' (directed by Jay Roach) is the dramatization of that story. The film centers on anchor Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), daytime host Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) & composite character, Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie) -- who were directly harassed by Ailes (a stellar John Lithgow). Talking directly to the camera, Megyn Kelly informs us how Fox News operates, including making sure the women wear short skirts with high heels, & show as much leg as possible while sitting.
The story takes place in 2015-16 and starts when Trump dragged controversial powerhouse Megyn Kelly into a gender politics war {mentioning her menstrual cycle}. All the while, fellow Fox News host Gretchen Carlson is angered by being relegated to a less favorable/less viewed time slot. She doesn't like how the sexist men at Fox News treat her {other women} and, when she ends up fired by Ailes for not 'playing along', her harassment lawsuit ignites. Her belief/hope is that a flood of similar complaints will emerge. But with most everyone afraid of Ailes & his power, Gretchen initially ends up on her own, with Megyn leery of rocking the boat & endangering her career. Ditto that for ambitious up-&-comer, Kayla -- an evangelical who isn't above sleeping with a liberal-in-hiding co-worker (Kate McKinnon) -- who is conflicted about climbing the corporate ladder despite being sexually harassed.
There was such pervasive paranoia at Fox News at that time. And this film shows the conflict: 3 beautiful blondes {and more, subsequently} calling-out Ailes as a slime ball, while men-in-power and other loyal beauties such as Kimberly Guilfoyle (Bree Condon) insists everyone wear "Team Roger" shirts. Actors such as Allison Janney, Kevin Dorff, Malcolm McDowell, Connie Britton, Richard Kind among many others play a variety of well-known politicians/analysts & the like ... but the main focus is on these 3 women and how the accusations & lawsuit affect them in their workplace. It really doesn't matter if you like Megyn or Gretchen's politics; you'll connect with the position they're in & respect the decisions they made. Jay Roach's direction is flashy & the script is incendiary. I wouldn't say this is the deepest film; kinda scratches the surfaces. But the movie educates & entertains.
The performances from everyone are excellent from top to bottom {The Screen Actors Guild Ensemble nomination that this film received makes perfect sense}, but I was in most awe of Theron's remarkable physical transformation into steely Megyn Kelly. Aided by superb makeup/prosthetics and an obvious in-depth study of how Kelly speaks & moves ... Charlize embodied Kelly to the point that you kinda forget you're not watching the real Megyn Kelly. Whether she's playing a serial killer, a one-armed kick-ass heroine, Snow White's evil stepmom or an everyday woman, Charlize Theron always impresses. Margot Robbie is solid, containing two particularly emotionally-charged scenes that rivet -- shame that there's not much to her (fictional) character to chew on. And Nicole Kidman is fantastic as sacrificial, heroic Gretchen Carlson, a real person with real agency in the plot. She's the one so deftly pulling the strings & orchestrating Ailes' fall.
According to the end credits, the remuneration paid to the women was $50 million, while Ailes & Bill O'Reilly's settlement packages totaled $65 mill -- shows you who has the upper hand in the world, huh? 'Bombshell' should be a call to arms for women & men who've yet to come forward to expose abuse by those in higher positions. It's also a cautionary tale for those in charge who are riding high their own power trips. Now, 'Bombshell' contains no surprising developments or new information to these stories that we don't already know. And there are some jerky tonal shifts. But on the whole, the film is an engaging watch; and that's mostly due to the dynamic performances by our 3 leading ladies and a stellar ensemble cast.
The story takes place in 2015-16 and starts when Trump dragged controversial powerhouse Megyn Kelly into a gender politics war {mentioning her menstrual cycle}. All the while, fellow Fox News host Gretchen Carlson is angered by being relegated to a less favorable/less viewed time slot. She doesn't like how the sexist men at Fox News treat her {other women} and, when she ends up fired by Ailes for not 'playing along', her harassment lawsuit ignites. Her belief/hope is that a flood of similar complaints will emerge. But with most everyone afraid of Ailes & his power, Gretchen initially ends up on her own, with Megyn leery of rocking the boat & endangering her career. Ditto that for ambitious up-&-comer, Kayla -- an evangelical who isn't above sleeping with a liberal-in-hiding co-worker (Kate McKinnon) -- who is conflicted about climbing the corporate ladder despite being sexually harassed.
There was such pervasive paranoia at Fox News at that time. And this film shows the conflict: 3 beautiful blondes {and more, subsequently} calling-out Ailes as a slime ball, while men-in-power and other loyal beauties such as Kimberly Guilfoyle (Bree Condon) insists everyone wear "Team Roger" shirts. Actors such as Allison Janney, Kevin Dorff, Malcolm McDowell, Connie Britton, Richard Kind among many others play a variety of well-known politicians/analysts & the like ... but the main focus is on these 3 women and how the accusations & lawsuit affect them in their workplace. It really doesn't matter if you like Megyn or Gretchen's politics; you'll connect with the position they're in & respect the decisions they made. Jay Roach's direction is flashy & the script is incendiary. I wouldn't say this is the deepest film; kinda scratches the surfaces. But the movie educates & entertains.
The performances from everyone are excellent from top to bottom {The Screen Actors Guild Ensemble nomination that this film received makes perfect sense}, but I was in most awe of Theron's remarkable physical transformation into steely Megyn Kelly. Aided by superb makeup/prosthetics and an obvious in-depth study of how Kelly speaks & moves ... Charlize embodied Kelly to the point that you kinda forget you're not watching the real Megyn Kelly. Whether she's playing a serial killer, a one-armed kick-ass heroine, Snow White's evil stepmom or an everyday woman, Charlize Theron always impresses. Margot Robbie is solid, containing two particularly emotionally-charged scenes that rivet -- shame that there's not much to her (fictional) character to chew on. And Nicole Kidman is fantastic as sacrificial, heroic Gretchen Carlson, a real person with real agency in the plot. She's the one so deftly pulling the strings & orchestrating Ailes' fall.
According to the end credits, the remuneration paid to the women was $50 million, while Ailes & Bill O'Reilly's settlement packages totaled $65 mill -- shows you who has the upper hand in the world, huh? 'Bombshell' should be a call to arms for women & men who've yet to come forward to expose abuse by those in higher positions. It's also a cautionary tale for those in charge who are riding high their own power trips. Now, 'Bombshell' contains no surprising developments or new information to these stories that we don't already know. And there are some jerky tonal shifts. But on the whole, the film is an engaging watch; and that's mostly due to the dynamic performances by our 3 leading ladies and a stellar ensemble cast.