Having now seen Nicole Kidman’s performance as Lucille Ball, it’s hard to believe there was ever any controversy. She’s not doing the sitcom “Waaaah” Lucy. Not much, anyway. Nope, she’s doing the two packs of Chesterfields a day, behind the scenes, Lucy. The one who, along with husband Desi Arnaz, was one of the most popular and powerful figures in the country. Back when 60 million people tuned in on Monday nights.
Aaron Sorkin writes and directs “Being the Ricardos” and you can hear his voice in every snappy line of dialogue. I happen to be a fan, so his recognizable rhythm was part of the fun. He has wisely chosen to focus one just one week in the lives of Lucy and Desi- and the idea of counting down the days until the Friday taping seems sound. But the hook is that America’s sweetheart has been reported to be a Communist back when this was akin to being a witch in Salem in a previous century.
The advertisers are angry, the network is nervous and the stars of the show have their careers on the line. For me, this wasn’t a great narrative choice, if only because we all know that DesiLu continued to be a powerhouse production facility and the home of one of TV’s most successful sitcoms in history.
There are hints within the story of Desi (Javier Bardem) having a wandering eye and maybe he’s playing more than congas and cards on the nights he’s late to get home. Again, it doesn’t feel like there’s that much at stake emotionally, just because we know the history, and the times, for that matter.
What works is seeing Lucy not being funny, but rather tearing apart ideas floated by the staff writers, always with good cause and wisdom that inspires more respect than laughs by us viewers. She’s controlled, she’s a boss, and she’s a badass.
It’s also fun to get a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes things like the set (in color!) and the camera blocking. The co-stars, Fred and Ethyl were played back in the day by William Frawley and Vivian Vance, who famously hated each other. Would’ve been nice to see something deeper than the thumbnail nasty looks and one-liner insults that they exchange.
Speaking of whom, Fred and Ethyl are played to a tea by J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda respectively. Like, Kidman, they have the voices and faces perfectly recreated. Bardem fares less well as Desi (by appearance) maybe because his face is too distinctive to alter with makeup and prosthetics. But, he’s charming and his comedic timing is pinpoint accurate.
The movie looks great and moves well at two hours. I recommend it, but I also wish there was just a bit more story – or maybe what I’m saying is I wish Sorkin had chosen a different week in their lives as the narrative backbone of the film.
‘Being the Ricardos’ will have a limited theatrical release on December 10th, followed by its streaming premiere on Amazon December 21st| 3 out of 4 Stars | Reviewed by Kyle Osborne
