3 Thoughts on Bombshell

1. The Acting - I had high expectations for this movie, specifically with the acting, since that's what seems to be getting the most attention. While Charlize is, as expected, terrific as Megyn Kelly, the rest of the acting is inconsistent. It's like everyone was in different version of the same movie. Some went full-on immersive character study, and some just stayed themselves with a change of hair and makeup. It was very distracting. But man, Charlize Theron absolutely killed it. It was hard to remember that it's not Megyn Kelly on-screen. Charlize embodied her look, her voice, her mannerisms. It was perfect. Nicole Kidman, on the other-hand, just stayed Nicole Kidman playing Gretchen Carlson. She didn't really look like her, her voice stayed the same, and she remained her cold, distant, Nicole Kidman self. This makes it seem like I'm not a fan, but I actually really love Nicole Kidman. It just didn't match what Charlize was doing. Then you have Margot Robbie, who I'm not sure if she played a real person, or a mash-up of a few people, was also very good, but also a pointless character. And John Lithgow was just John Lithgow but fatter. I feel like it's up to a director to decide the acting style for the film, and ensure everyone follows through. Instead, this whole movie feels like a jumbled mess.

2. The Story - The story is important, however, I don't think it's going to get the audience that it's targeting. It felt like they were trying to teach us a "lesson", but anyone willingly watching this movie, already knows the lesson. So, instead, it felt condescending and pointless. I think timing is a big problem - it's just too soon for this story to be made into a film. We haven't reflected, we haven't seen the full outcome and the lasting effect that it will have on journalism, politics, the entertainment industry, etc,. Why are we in such a hurry to tell (i.e commodify) stories that just happened? I also felt like the way that certain characters spoke directly into the camera is awkward, and again, condescending. It is told in the same style as The Big Short and Vice (actually a little too similar, in my opinion - it felt more like theft than "inspiration") and as a whole, it just didn't work for me. 

3. The Better Version - I literally just watched this whole story a few months ago with the mini-series The Loudest Voice, and it was 100% better. It wasn't preachy, or boring, and it had nuance. I think it was largely ignored, but Russell Crowe did recently get the Golden Globe for it - and he deserved it (although no-one deserves anything over Sam Rockwell, EVER). It wasn't spectacular or anything, but at least it had better overall acting, editing, and pace. If the story interests you, I would definitely recommend this version.