Being the Ricardos (2021)

[Eric Duncan]

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[filmlover]

An interesting but uneven variation on the biopic that takes us behind the scenes of a dramatic week leading up to the filming of an episode of I Love Lucy. While Aaron Sorkin does a fine job taking us back to the era of early 1950s TV and showing us how shows were made back then, it only pays lip service to how influential Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz really were and could've used more depth. Much has already been said about the controversial casting choice of Nicole Kidman as Ball, but I must say she gives a really strong performance here, even if she's never able to disappear into the part and become the icon. Same can be said of Javier Bardem as Arnaz. The best performances actually come from the supporting players, with Nina Arianda and especially (and unsurprisingly) J.K. Simmons lighting up the screen whenever they appear. As late year biopics go, it's solid enough but unlikely to leave much of an impact past awards season. B-

[Webslinger]

As an examination of the creative process behind a beloved classic show, Being the Ricardos is a messy but ultimately fairly compelling and enjoyable film. Though it does run too long and has its momentum stymied by flashbacks with questionable relevance to the main narrative, it does a strong job of looking into the process of crafting an I Love Lucy amid the backdrop of the many obstacles of its titular star. As one would expect, writer-director Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue and character interplay keeps most scenes lively, and the actors give solid performances. In the lead role, Nicole Kidman captures Lucille Ball’s mannerisms well and does a good job of crafting a character whose awareness of her artistic reach acts as a double-edged sword; in this regard, Kidman is effective in sketching out Lucille’s talent and frustrating stubbornness alike. There is also strong work from Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz, as Bardem successfully sells Desi’s complicated chemistry with Lucille. The supporting cast also boasts some stellar scene work from Nina Arianda, J.K. Simmons, Alia Shawkat, and Tony Hale. As a film that clearly aspired to be one of the crown jewels of awards season, Being the Ricardos falls a bit short, missing that extra “oomph” to really elevate it to the next level (though it’s so charming and so inside Hollywood that I suspect it will still pick up plentiful buzz and some nominations). As a fun, fairly interesting study of a famous person’s life (mostly) in microcosm, however, it’s a solid effort that does the trick. 

 

B

[Flopped]

This is still a B- but still vastly superior to Spencer. I enjoyed it and Nicole Kidman's performance despite whatever was going on with her face.