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Bombshell-2019

Director Jay Roach

Starring Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman

Scott’s Review #972

Reviewed December 26, 2019

Grade: B+

Bombshell (2019) is the type of film that, depending on your political affiliation, you will either refuse to see or see and have a love/hate reaction to.

As a non-lover of the “news” network Fox News, I am firmly ensconced in the latter camp, so my opinion of the film is mixed.

The importance of releasing the film during a time of political turmoil in 2019 is crucial and intentional, which is why I commend the film.

Still, the subject matter of sexual harassment against women is complex to watch and a sobering reminder that this behavior continues to occur.

The performances of the principal players — Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, Kate McKinnon, and John Lithgow — are outstanding and key to the film’s success. Theron and Lithgow receive the lion’s share of makeup and prosthetic work, making them look identical to their real-life counterparts.

Beneficial is a myriad of Fox News political figure portrayals (Sean Hannity, Jeanine Pirro, and Bill O’Reilly) with frighteningly good accuracy, creating a surreal effect.

The film centers on female Fox News personnel in Manhattan and their sexual harassment allegations against founder Roger Ailes (Lithgow).

The central figure- Megyn Kelly (Theron) is conflicted over the risks to both her career and her financial stability if she comes forward and admits her harassment by Ailes years ago, after Gretchen Carlson sues the network.

Margot Robbie plays Kayla, a young Fox employee whom Ailes also harasses.

McKinnon plays a closeted lesbian and confidante to Kayla, who works for the network despite being liberal and a massive admirer of Hillary Clinton.

The plot is fast-paced and unfolds like a quick page-turner, with some sections narrated by Kelly. Bombshell feels timely and has a distinct “ripped from the headlines” makeup.

The fact that the real-life events occurred as recently as 2016 is a striking aspect that will captivate the viewer, especially those who follow United States politics or current events.

The story is fresh and vibrant, with a sense of familiarity, rather than a tale from an event decades ago that many viewers have forgotten or were too young to remember.

I had difficulty feeling much sympathy for most of the characters, which detracts from the film’s overall impact.

The standard definition that the term “Fox News” usually conjures is one of male chauvinism and the good old boys club, with old-fashioned machismo ruling the roost.

Why would any woman choose to work for them or align themselves with the Conservative party, which is not a fan of women or women’s rights?

With this fact in mind, it was difficult for me to watch the film.

To build on this, CEO Roger Ailes is written as the clear villain with no redeeming value. During one scene, he salivates over Kayla when she visits him in his office and instructs her to lift her skirt higher and twirl for him. The scene is sickening, and we feel Kayla’s embarrassment and humiliation.

In a cheer-out-loud moment at the end of the film, she quits, unable to remain in such a corrupt corporation.

One of the only likable characters is Jess Carr (McKinnon), probably fictitious. Hardly fitting the mold of the female staff, not perky or showing leg, she goes out for drinks with Kayla and admits to being gay; the two end up having a one-night stand.

The character is unique, and McKinnon makes wise acting choices.

Worth mentioning is Ailes’s long-time secretary Faye (Holland Taylor). Surely, she knows the antics that go on in her boss’s office, but she almost serves as an accomplice. Why?

Sad to realize that, as recently as 2016, women were still having to face discrimination in the workplace. Industries with powerful men still can be toxic and poisonous to women attempting to climb the ranks.

If the women harassed at Fox News were not top anchors, there is no way the accusations would have even been heard. What about the receptionists, cleaning staff, or administrators who are harassed?

Would anyone listen to them? This message crossed my mind while watching Bombshell.

With fantastic acting and incredible makeup, time will tell if Bombshell (2019) remains a relevant film. Leaving the viewer with an unsatisfying ending rather than a hopeful one, it isn’t easy to sympathize with most of the characters, even when they are supposed to be sympathetic.

Bombshell would make a perfect companion piece to Vice (2018), a similar political, yet superior film.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Actress-Charlize Theron, Best Supporting Actress-Margot Robbie, Best Makeup and Hairstyling (won)

Holidays-2016

Director Anthony Scott Burns, Miscellaneous

Starring Jocelin Donohue, Sophie Traub, Seth Green

Scott’s Review #460

Reviewed August 7, 2016

Grade: A-

While perusing my Netflix streaming new release options, I stumbled upon an intriguing choice with an interesting premise.

Eight horror vignettes are all set in a holiday theme named Holidays (2016). The description of the stories harkens back to the days of the beloved Showtime Masters of Horrors series (2005-2007) that featured macabre horror shorts.

Not all eight offerings are spectacular, but the ones that stand out are dynamic, if not creepy.

Set in chronological order, Holidays begins with a story centered on Valentine’s Day- a clear homage to the horror classic Carrie (1976).

A taunted female teenager nicknamed “Maxi-Pad” by her cruel nemesis is encouraged to dive into the high school pool by her male coach to retrieve a brick, presumably to conquer her fear of swimming or water.

The coach, who Maxi is in love with, requires a heart transplant, so Maxi goes to morbid lengths to assist him and exact revenge on her tormentor.

In Father’s Day, a young female teacher receives a mysterious cassette tape from her long-estranged father, leading her on an adventure in an abandoned area to locate her father, wonderfully voiced by actor Michael Gross.

The audiotape’s voice tones and static sound add to the intrigue and suspense of the story.

Along with the Valentine’s Day story, the Christmas and New Year’s Eve segments are my favorites, as each is exceptional and creative.

On Christmas Eve, a young father (Seth Green) attempts to buy his son the last virtual reality device, but when he leaves a stranger to die to obtain it, he becomes haunted by the device.

On New Year’s Eve, a male serial killer looks for his next victim, a lonely woman desperate for an online date, but once they return to her house for sex, who becomes the hunter, and who becomes the victim?

Other holidays featured in stories that are either too bizarre to make perfect sense or less compelling but still worth mentioning are St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, and Halloween.

I adore this film’s clever holiday theme. I wonder which holiday will come next and how it will be incorporated into the story. It is terrific fun.

Specifically, the Christmas story reminds me of a classic Twilight Zone episode in which the main character betrays an unknown stranger for personal gain, which leads to guilt and conflict.

A few of the stories focus on the traditions of the featured holidays, like the legendary snakes of St. Patrick’s Day or the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, as a frightened young girl becomes terrified of the folklore involved.

This is incorporated with the legend of the Easter bunny delivering candy, as the confused girl cannot separate fairy tales from reality. This makes me wonder if the director’s point was to question the silliness of religion if one dissects it enough.

Other themes are revenge, as in the Halloween and Valentine’s Day episodes. Both feature bullying in one way or another, each getting their due in the end.

I wish more anthologies like Holidays (2016) were made, as watching this feature was a fascinating, late-night joy.