"Being The Ricardos": Movie Review
Written By Alex Greenbaum
Lucille Ball was an icon on television for many years. Her apt ability for visual comedy was like no other in her time. Director/ writer Aaron Sorkin's ("The Social Network", "Molly's Game") new film, "Being The Ricardos", looks to personalize Ball's (Nicole Kidman) life and her marriage to Desi Arnez (Javier Bardem). Sorkin's attempt is admirable but falls flat when it matters most. Kidman's performance never captures the heightened comedy of Ball nor does it layer her enough to care. Unlike Kidman, Bardem's wonderful portrayl of Arnez brings to life a character whose insightful and effective actions were not widely known pubicly. While "Being The Ricardos" works on a simple level, those looking for a meaty drama with some deep insights should look elsewhere.
Between the accusations toward Lucille Ball of being a communist and trying to save her marriage with Arnez, Sorkin captures the most tumultuous time period of Ball's life. There's rarely a breath taken, between the snappy Sorkin writing and fascinating time period. While this might work in plenty of Sorkin's prior works, here it feels rushed and infrequently jives with its subject.
Kidman, who is usually excellent in her roles, feels miscast. She has some of Ball's more eccentric mannerisms down pat, but Kidman is never able to successfully morph into Lucy. Ultimately it becomes a distraction that never subsides. Two of the more impressive characters are Arnez as mentioned before and William Frawley played by the great J.K. Simmons. They're both fun, light and are able to shed some interesting depth and realism into each of their portrayals.
Another director or writer might've been able to circumvent the difficulties of the subject matter. On the other hand, maybe it was Kidman's inability to capture the physical comedy and persona of Lucille Ball which contributed to the film's weakness. It's far from a bad film but one that did little to make me want to learn more about Ball after the credits rolled.
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