If you follow US news, and in particular Fox, the nation's biggest broadcasting network, then you will be familiar with the huge scandal that beset the corporation a few years ago. Directed by Jay Roach and written by Charles Randolph, Bombshell is a dramatised account of these events -- the story of CEO Roger Ailes, one of the world's most powerful media moguls, and his dramatic fall in the wake of a series of sexual harassment allegations.
In its depiction of the final days of Ailes' career, the film is mainly centred on the women who came forward to accuse him. Obviously, the film's themes are extremely pertinent: the scandal was a large factor in fuelling the Me Too and Time's Up movements. In the wake of the Ailes scandal, women have come forward all over the world to open up about their harrowing experiences, and to try and hold powerful predators to account. It seems fitting that this film comes out while Harvey Weinstein is on trial. No one can accuse Bombshell of lacking relevance. It's unfortunate then that the film itself feels somehow redundant and lacking in focus.
Bombshell is a surprising, ambitious move by Roach, who up until now has been best known for directing comedy, particularly the Austin Powers movies, along with Meet The Parents, Meet The Fockers and Dinner For Schmucks. He has certainly managed to assemble an impressive cast: Charlize Theron plays news anchor Megyn Kelly and Nicole Kidman is journalist Gretchen Carlson, the first to file a major sexual harassment lawsuit against Ailes, played by an unrecognisable John Lithgow. Margot Robbie, meanwhile, is intern Kayla Pospisil, a fictional character on a steep learning curve as to how things really work in the world of news media.
One of the first things that comes to mind when watching Bombshell is the extraordinary physical transformation by the cast. This might be most obvious with Lithgow who amply fills the role of the grotesque, loathsome Ailes. But Theron's resemblance to Kelly, in looks and voice, is likewise uncanny. Credit must go to the film's make-up crew, especially Kazu Hiro, who carries on his Oscar-winning work from 2017's Darkest Hour in which he transformed Gary Oldman into Winston Churchill.
Generally, the characters are based on real people, but Robbie's is a fictional creation. Pospisil may feel overshadowed by the more powerful Kelly and Carlson, but performance-wise Robbie holds her own against Theron and Kidman. In fact, Pospisil's storyline might be the most compelling, particularly as it features one of the film's standout scenes: an intensely uncomfortable moment between Pospisil and Ailes. Unpleasant viewing it may be, but it's extremely important because her experience emphatically puts the viewer in the shoes of every woman who's ever been leered at.
Of course, Bombshell is tackling an extremely important issue. It's a story that needs telling. But the film never feels like it's delving deeply enough. The events here have been well documented in the news, and Bombshell does not really offer any fresh revelations or insights. In its focus on recreating the events, it forgets to add anything new to the conversation.
The film also gets too hung up on parodying famous Fox News talking heads and TV personalities, which leaves the narrative feeling unfocused, almost like a TV movie. It's a shame, because this is a brilliantly acted piece about some truly brave women who decided not to take it anymore, and stood up to the misogynistic world of male power and entitlement.
- Bombshell
- Starring Charlize Theron, Nicole
- Kidman, Margot Robbie
- Directed by Jay Roach
