Bombshell

Interesting movie. Once I saw the trailer I definitely wanted to see the film but had no real intent to see it in the theater upon release. As for the movie; it's a good watch; plenty of tension; though each of the three principal women (Kelly/Theron; Carlson/Kidman; Robbie/OReilly producer) seem to be dropped in square pegs; each role clearly defined. Carlson comes across as how she was portrayed; angry vengeful. Kidman doesn't authentically smile at all through the film; when she does; it's as if she's using all her energy to keep from having a nervous breakdown in front of anyone. Her eyes are always red presumably crying every moment of every day. Theron playing Megyn Kelly literally at the top of Fox News; holding as she says all the power in the world but she being indecisive at crucial moments has it come across on screen in the movie that cable network power has it's limitations; if it has any meaning at all; particularly when you're a woman; among other women looking for inspiration guidance and support. Robbie playing a Fox News producer does the best job of the three being the ultimate insider at the network. Not much else needs to be said. When she says she gave into Roger Ailes; you immediately believe it. Lithgow's performance as Roger Ailes seems over-the-top; I tend to think the dramatization the movie indulges in must be primarily that. Did he sexually harass women? Sure. Did Ailes come off with some sort of fire and brimstone attitude throughout the newsroom? Doubt it. But maybe to a bunch of scared nervous people always worried about being fired; it probably easily comes off like that.

I loved The Big Short, and I loved Vice. Now the same gang has done it again with Bombshell. With an all-star cast including Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie as three of the women affected by Roger Ailes' truly creepy behavior, plus John Lithgow as Ailes himself, Malcolm McDowell as Rupert Murdoch, and Allison Janney (The West Wing) as Ailes' lawyer, this movie is packed with acting chops. The story is told mainly from Megyn Kelly's viewpoint, and the odd little captions used to introduce various characters are a nice touch. Some of the remarks heard herein, either about or toward various women, will be uncomfortably familiar to any woman who has ever worked in an office run by "the boys." And when Margot's character has her big tearful reveal, you want to cry right along with her. Yeah, sure, there may be those who think that what happened to those women (and others) at the hands of Ailes and O'Reilly "wasn't that bad." But that's not the point. When someone in power uses it to humiliate employees in any way, that's wrong. And this movie gives us all a refreshing breath of triumph over an evil, disgusting man. In this age of #MeToo, we could use more like it.

Please read the description and note that the names of the female anchors are conspicuously absent, as is the name of the network. When I purchased this movie I expected to see respected female anchors who broke through the glass ceiling, the patriarchy, and the sexism; e.g. Barbara Walters, Connie Chung, Cokie Roberts, etc. I did not expect to see three anchors from Fox news; Megyn Kelly, Gretchen Carlson, and a composite character, "Kayla Pospisil" and their coverage of Trump.