By Ben Miller
Writer/director Aaron Sorkin is no stranger to historical drama and Being the Ricardos adds to the list. With a deft ensemble and a dynamite lead performance from Nicole Kidman, the film will be an enjoyable time for fans of I Love Lucy and Sorkin fans alike. Fair warning though: If Sorkin isn't your cup of tea, this film can be hard to swallow.
Lucille Ball (Kidman) is at the height of her powers. Alongside her husband and co-star Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem), their sitcom I Love Lucy is the most popular show on television. But in 1953, Senator Joseph McCarthy was on the hunt for Communists within the United States. Word gets out among the CBS executives that Ball was interviewed by his committee. Ball and Arnaz begin to question the viability of the show if this information became public...
To add to Ball's worries, Arnaz is plastered on the cover of a tabloid with another woman...
Other issues arise, including a new director, problems with Vivian Vance (Nina Arianda) and William Frawley (J.K. Simmons), and further interpersonal battles. All of this happens during a single week from the Monday table read to the Friday taping in front of a live studio audience. Will the show and the relationships survive the week?
Being the Ricardos uses a framing decide from the perspective of I Love Lucy writers Madelyn Pugh (Alia Shawkat/Linda Lavin), Bob Carroll (Jake Lacy/Ronnie Cox), and the executive producer Jess Oppenheimer (Tony Hale/John Rubinstein). While the younger versions interact within the story, the older versions recall that week's events like talking heads in a documentary. This structure paints an odd picture of nostalgia and leads to unearned hindsight.
The power struggles between Lucy and Desi and with producers over the show dominate the film. Lucy is the primary creative decisionmaker while Desi controls all the business. Despite this separation, Frawley (J.K. Simmons) notices the potential emasculation of Desi whenever Lucy takes over. This patronizing tone is ever-present. Lucy falls over herself to tell anyone who will listen that Desi is the brains behind everything. Arnaz's virtues are continually extolled and the man is shown as nearly faultless. Meanwhile, Lucy is a savant. When rehearsing a scene or hearing a pitch for a bit, Lucy can picture everything that happens to the most minute detail.
Sorkin presents the conjectures with hyper-realism. Everything that transpired is conveyed as fact, though almost every situation stretches reality. In fact, as Sorkin has admitted in interviews, the three bombshell conflicts within the movie all happened, but did not happen in the same year, least of all a single episode. For a writer and director of self-exalted intelligence, Sorkin has very little faith that his audience shares that intelligence.
Despite looking very little like anyone besides Nicole Kidman, the movie star dominates the film and embodies the ideal of who Lucille Ball was. Kidman has drawn distinct lines between Lucy the character, Lucille the performer, and Lucille the woman. She masters Sorkin's dialogue with sharp wit and impeccable timing. You might never buy Kidman as Lucy, but it doesn't really matter. One day, people will stop continually doubting Kidman's always stellar gift. On the other hand Bardem can't overcome the miscasting. The film overexplains Desi's swagger, charm, and good looks.
Simmons is predictably strong but it's a role he could do in his sleep. Nina Arianda, on the other hand, has a much more difficult role as Vivian/Ethel and does a lot with it. Vivian Vance and Ethel are both characters to be laughed at and joked about. Arianda shines when confronting the reality of the situation though her struggles are internal because she isn't the star. She faces her challenges behind the scenes since the limelight is never going to touch her. Arianda fights off Kidman for best-in-show honors.
Shawkat and Hale both do good work on the sidelines but the four sitcome stars are the only characters the film is truly invested in. The rest of the supporting cast includes small parts by recognizable character actors like Clark Gregg, Nelson Franklin, and Christopher Denham.
Devotees to Sorkin will fall in lockstep with Being the Ricardos. His penchant for rapid-fire dialogue, male ego, and exceptionalism may wear thin on some viewers but the excellent performances elevate the film to deliver an entertaining experience. B-
Oscar Chances: Picture, Actress and Screenplay feel like sure things. Simmons, Arianda and craft attention are longer shots. I was a big fan of the production design, but it's not as flashy as you would expect.