{"id":5007,"date":"2020-01-19T00:56:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-19T00:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bryanbuser.com\/365moviesbyday\/?p=5007"},"modified":"2024-03-24T03:54:05","modified_gmt":"2024-03-24T03:54:05","slug":"bombshell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/365moviesbyday.bryanbuser.com\/bombshell\/","title":{"rendered":"Bombshell (2019)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Based on the real-life scandal at the Fox News Channel, Jay Roach’s (Trumbo, Meet the Parents<\/em>)\u00a0Bombshell<\/em>\u00a0tells the story of the eruption that occurred when many women were exposed to a sexually harassing environment due to its chairman at the time, Roger Ailes (John Lithgow-\u00a0Late Night<\/a>,\u00a0The Accountant<\/a><\/em>). Bringing to the surface the accusations of numerous females by the head of the company,\u00a0Bombshell<\/em>\u00a0made, at times, an uncomfortable watch. It felt unfathomable that so much of this could have occurred. However, it also seemed as if you couldn’t make up a story like this had it not been proven true.<\/p>\n

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The release of\u00a0Bombshell<\/em>\u00a0comes when the #MeToo movement is at the forefront of the minds of all Americans. Set in the summer of 2016, the film chronicles the tense days when Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman –\u00a0The Hours<\/a>, The Others<\/em>), the morning show co-host of “Fox and Friends” filed a lawsuit against Ailes, believing that others who were harassed in the same way would come forward and back her statement. While she didn’t initially gain the support she expected to receive, others did eventually come forward, most notably Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron –\u00a0Mad Max: Fury Road<\/a>,\u00a0Tully<\/a><\/em>), the network’s biggest star at that point who corroborated Carlson’s claim with her own tales of harassment.<\/p>\n

\"bombshell<\/p>\n

While the story was true, there were some fictionalized elements and characters. Most notable is the character of Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie –\u00a0The Wolf of Wall Street<\/a>,\u00a0Once Upon a Time in Hollywood<\/a><\/em>), an ambitious, conservative, wide-eye staffer who is a lifelong Fox News fanatic and wants nothing more than to work for this company she has always worshiped. Kayla is noticed by Ailes, who promises to promote her to an on-air talent in exchange for sexual favors. There is a highly unpleasant scene between Kayla and Ailes in his office. Ailes makes Kayla twirl and slowly inch her dress up, revealing her legs more and more until he finally sees her underwear. It’s a scene that makes you cringe and shift uncomfortably in your seat. I felt it troubling even to watch it on the screen, and I can’t believe some women had experienced this dishonor. Randolph let this scene play out in real time, hoping that his male viewers would feel uneasy and feel greater empathy for victims of sexual harassment. While fictionalized, Kayla’s character is drawn from interviews conducted by Roach and his staff with former Fox News employees, a few of whom violated their non-disclosure agreements to speak with the filmmakers.<\/p>\n

\"bombshell<\/p>\n

While a highly disheartening story and one that unfortunately was true and had to be told, it was told in a highly entertaining way. The two-hour runtime flies. The pace of the movie never slows. You have highly likable protagonists in Gretchen, Megyn, and Kayla, as well as one exceptionally dislikable antagonist in Roger Ailes. The film earned three Oscar nominations, two for acting (Theron for Best Actress, Robbie for Supporting Actress). The acting is the film’s best part, though the screenplay and editing are not overlooked. The film style will remind you of movies like\u00a0Vice<\/em>\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0The Big Short<\/em><\/a>, with real-life components interweaving with movie-created elements.<\/p>\n

Plot 9\/10
\nCharacter Development 9\/10
\nCharacter Chemistry 9\/10
\nActing 9.5\/10
\nScreenplay 9\/10
\nDirecting 9.5\/10
\nCinematography 8.5\/10
\nSound 8.5\/10
\nHook and Reel 9\/10
\nUniversal Relevance 10\/10
\n91%<\/p>\n

A<\/p>\n

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