Being the Ricardos is in select theaters December 10th, and Amazon Prime December 21st. I enjoyed the film for the most part mainly due to the behind the scenes world of 50s television. The story focuses on the business and personal lives of the Ricardos during a brief moment when their TV show – and marriage – seemed ready to crumble around them. No one writes for or about television like Aaron Sorkin who penned and directs this one.
Official synopsis: Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) are threatened by shocking personal accusations, a political smear, and cultural taboos in Academy Award®-winning writer and director Aaron Sorkin’s behind-the-scenes drama Being the Ricardos. A revealing glimpse of the couple’s complex romantic and professional relationship, the film takes audiences into the writers’ room, onto the soundstage, and behind closed doors with Ball and Arnaz during one critical production week of their groundbreaking sitcom I Love Lucy. Featuring J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda.
Nicole Kidman is tasked with bringing the iconic pioneer Lucille Ball to life. Not an easy feat and even the very talented Kidman stumbles a few times. She is more solid in the business shoes of Ball. When we see Lucy painstakingly focusing on each detail of her popular series. I Love Lucy was the most watched show of the times and Lucy made sure it was all perfect. It is when we see her acting out the scenes we have come to know that she doesn’t quite hit the mark.
I am not familiar much with Desi so in my mind Javier Bardem does a stand up job. If anything is off it the stature of the actor. The real Desi seems a much smaller man where as Bardem looms large. Javier and Nicole have powerful on screen chemistry and it is easy to believe them as the ultimate power couple.
Though it takes place during a time when Lucy is battling some personal attacks in the press we also get a lot of the backstory of the Ricardos. How they met, their early career, and how I Love Lucy came into being. In this current world of anything goes it was nostalgic and somewhat humorous to hear the discussions that the TV execs had. It was a time when everything was taboo and to say and do anything remotely controversial on TV was unheard of.
If you are looking for a comedy like the show you will not get it here. This is a serious drama about Hollywood’s first power couple. It is about the role of man and woman in 50s business. It is about a strong woman forced to navigate the waters of man. It is about the Ricardos. Know that going in and you will find your footing faster. BEING THE RICARDOS is rated R for language and adult themes. I give it 3 out of 5 stomped grapes. #BeingTheRicardos
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