Bombshell (2019)
“Ask yourself, what would scare my grandmother and piss off my grandfather? And that’s a Fox story.” – Jess Carr.
Bombshell (2019)
Directed by: Jay Roach
Written by: Charles Randolph
Starring: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow
Bombshell doesn’t get the love it deserves.
Rated a paltry 6.8 on IMDb (shoutout to my inferior competitors), and considered a box-office disappointment with only $60 million in ticket stubs off a $30 million budget, this got lost in the jumble during 2019. It also suffered due to viewer fatigue, as many had already watched The Loudest Voice, a 2019 mini-series that focuses on identical source material. Well…it’s 2021 now, and I’m telling you that the coast is clear for you to watch this entertaining biopic.
Centred on the fall of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes (Lithgow), Bombshell is based upon the accounts of women at Fox News who set out to expose his long history of sexually assaulting female staff. The story is viewed through the lens of three key Fox staffers; Megyn Kelly (Theron) – a senior anchor deeply entrenched within the company, Gretchen Carlson (Kidman) – another anchor who was the catalyst for the initial lawsuit against Ailes, and Kayla Pospisil (Robbie) – a newcomer to Fox who is full of grand aspirations and dreams of “making it in broadcast television”. The film follows what happens once the first accusations were made public in 2016, and how this affected both Ailes and his victims.
At the heart of the movie, it’s a pretty simple message: Ailes was a scumbag and was rightfully exposed for the terrible things he did. But it’s a little bit deeper than that, as much like The Big Short keeps reminding us that the Global Financial Crisis didn’t change a thing, Bombshell emphasises how little the momentous #MeToo movement in 2016 did for the victims. Not that it’s not satisfying watching Ailes slowly fall apart in this film – IT SURE IS – but Roach makes sure to balance any victories for the women by reminding the audience that these women didn’t actually ‘win’. Whether it’s an excruciating scene of Kayla being psychologically tortured, a quick cut to other abusive male staff who weren’t punished, or a final slide stating that Ailes’ severance package was still far more than the COMBINED payout the sexual harassment victims received, Roach keeps smacking you over the head with how deranged the normalisation of this behaviour was in corporate America.
Also, sidenote: Another great trailer:
The three-headed powerhouse of Theron, Kidman and Robbie all crush it, flexing their acting muscle effortlessly opposite an equally impressive Lithgow. The quirky direction of Roach also leads to a speedy start to the film (which I loved), with Theron and Kidman breaking the 4th wall early to provide a summary of Roger Ailes, Fox News and the office dynamics. You’re off and running within seven minutes, transported into the world of conservative journalism. The amount of actors that make you say “oh hey, isn’t that…” is also a fun little wrinkle, with Alison Janney, Connie Britton and Kate McKinnon heading literally PAGES of well-known supporting actors.
Once again, there were people who pointed out some historical inaccuracies in the screenplay. As I pointed out in the review for Argo, wow, shocker – a screenwriter embellished a story to make the movie more entertaining. Moreover, Megyn Kelly posted a Youtube video roundtable discussion with herself and a number of other victims in 2020, discussing the accuracy of the screenplay, with a number of the participants saying that the filmmakers actually “let Roger off easy.”
In summary, Bombshell is almost verging on ‘hidden gem’ status at this stage, with everyone seemingly cooling on the story. And while the subject matter is confronting and pretty full-on, the plot is quick, punchy and carried by some incredible acting talent. It’s an entertaining package for those who enjoy biopics – highly recommend.
Rating: 7.5/10