by Nathaniel R
the stars at a table read
The teaser is out for Amazon's Being the Ricardo, which is not a biopic in the common sense but a behind-the-scenes drama about one week in the making of the I Love Lucy show and the volatile Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball marriage/working relationship. At least that's what we've heard about it. The trailer on the other hand, suggests something more like a glimpse of Lucille Ball's ego and fight to stay on top in the (then) new medium of television.
Let's discuss after the jump...
YES
- Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman together is automatic bonus points for "things we can't wait to see". And the casting of Fred & Vivian (J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda) feels inspired... at least on paper and in this brief glimpse.
- The best kind of biopics are these kinds -- where its just a tiny segment of the life to give us an impression of a moment in history
- Aaron Sorkin as a writer.
J.K. and Nina as Fred & Vivien rubbernecking like they're moviegoers checking out Nicole & Javier as Ricky & Lucy
NO
- Um... why are they hiding Nicole's face? This does not scream confidence in the film. It would be one thing if the trailer didn't show her at all and ended with a real reveal in closeup but she's visible in medium and longshots (though sometimes unintentionally funny in strenuous -we're not letting you look at her! - ways) all throughout the trailer. The only clear shot is when she steps into the grapes from a very famous I Love Lucy skit and even that is a medium shot and in black and white so it doesn't feel like a "reveal" of the star.
- Aaron Sorkin as a director.
MAYBE SO
- Nicole Kidman doesn't sound like herself which is a good thing. But does she sound like Lucille Ball? Today's film culture demands total mimicry from this type of performance which is a pity as there is FAR more to acting than mimicry. But still. The leap from a dramatic Australian megastar of the 21st century backwards to an comedic American megastar of the 1950s is going to be too great for a lot of people. We don't look forward to the discourse but we are curious about the movie.
What do you make of this teaser? Did it change your assumptions about this movie?