Bombshell (2019)
With a title like Bombshell, you expect beautiful blonde women and a devastating revelation that’ll buckle your knees and leave you on the floor, weeping. You get the ladies but not the reaction. Perhaps because we’ve seen this story play out in the news not all that long ago or because Roger Allies is just one of many. Nonetheless, it’s emotional and engaging. The performances are excellent and the makeup used to transform John Lithgow into Roger Ailes so good they might as well hand Vivian Baker, Cristina Waltz, and Richard Redlefsen the Oscar right now.
Based on true events, the story begins with Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) approaching her lawyers. She’s been rebuffing the advances of her boss, Roger Allies (Lithgow) for some time and knows her job is in jeopardy. Ambitious Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie) is poised to replace her and experiences first-hand what it takes for a woman to “make it” at Fox News under Ailes’ reign. Meanwhile, News Anchor Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) finds herself under attack by Donald Trump after questioning his attitude towards women during the 2015 Republican Party presidential debate and turns to the chairman of Fox News for help.
I have to criticize the disjointed plot by Charles Randolph. Carlson, Kelly, and Pospisil only interact briefly and for a long time, what connects them (besides working at Fox) is not apparent. The film also switches between straightforward storytelling and Adam McKay-style fourth-wall-breaking for no real reason except to deliver exposition at a few points throughout. The actors turn towards the camera so infrequently it feels out of place when they do.
The choice to follow the three women does make sense as we dig deeper into the story. Unexpectedly, this film is determined to be fair. If you protested Megyn Kelly in 2015, Bombshell and its position won’t appeal to your Cro-Magnon mind but when discussing Roger Allies, director Jay Roach shows him as a real human. His treatment of women is revolting but we also see him as reliable and supportive when Megyn needs him. If anyone comes out looking like irredeemable garbage, it’s the ones who turned a blind eye towards Allies and even then, you understand their logic. A situation like this has many shades of grey.
It’s an uncomfortable viewing experience. It should be. We’re talking about sexual harassment. That’ll make your skin crawl, as will the moments when the camera turns towards you and asks about the responsibilities of those on the periphery too. More could be said, and with the way things have and are going today, a movie about this subject that is genuinely explosive is probably right around the corner. Even so, Bombshell is worth seeing for the thoughts it provokes and the performances. The actors and actresses disappear into their roles and elevate the material they’ve been given. (Theatrical version on the big screen, January 4, 2020)
