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In true Aaron Sorkin fashion, Being the Ricardos is a rollercoaster of fascinating conversations. Almost every scene tackles multiple issues, yet Sorkin keeps it clear and concise. Gradually, the story builds, becoming rich in themes of home, prejudice, and ambition. Yet, Being the Ricardos ultimately focuses its attention on the world's discomfort with powerful women. Therefore, Nicole Kidman's fiery performance influences the entire production. She is sharp, assured, and, deep down, afraid of losing it all. Because Kidman is so convincingly layered and the supporting cast is equally dynamic, the acting drives the film as much as the whip-smart writing.
Plus, the filmmaking of Being the Ricardos might not match its emotional backbone, but it is still technically proficient. The visuals provide cohesive color schemes, light camera movement, and occasionally aesthetic shots. The editing paces the film briskly, yet gives key beats time to breathe. The production design is detailed and sells the time period. Lastly, the direction balances the snappy humor and the painful dramatics into a potent tone of somber recognition. Overall, Sorkin's clever script and the excellent cast are supported by solid cinema, creating an effective experience. Assuredly, Being the Ricardos is worth a view.
Writing: 10/10
Direction: 8/10
Cinematography: 8/10
Acting: 10/10
Editing: 8/10
Sound: 7/10
Score/Soundtrack: 7/10
Production Design: 9/10
Casting: 9/10
Effects: 7/10
Overall Score: 8.3/10
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Continuing with the Oscars grind, I just finished Prime Video’s original movie Being the Ricardos. Nominated solely for acting this year we have; Javier Bardem for Best Lead Actor, Nicole Kidman for Best Lead Actress, and JK Simmons for Best Supporting Actor. I’ll be completely honest with all of you, I loved each of their performances in this movie, they’re really good. But having seen a handful of episodes of I Love Lucy to prepare for WandaVision last year, none of these actors look or sound anything like the people they’re meant to be playing. It was a very distracting issue that took me out of the movie multiple times. So while I think they all give great performances, I can’t honestly say any of them deserve the award. My only other big gripe with the movie was that there were three scandals coming through at once which made it hard to keep the timeline straight, I really feel like they didn’t do the best they could with how all of these events played together. Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Sawkat, Jake Lacy, Linda Lavin, Clark Gregg, and Nelson Franklin all do pretty good jobs with their roles of various different sizes. I love the back and forth mix of color and black and white, and the focus on Lucy is really great. I don’t know how much of this is true but they make her a badass and I loved it. I do know how big of a deal it was for her to be pregnant on the show, that was a huge deal in the 60’s. Many people may not understand that, or that they’re characters slept in separate beds, or how big a deal it was for a person to be accused of being a Communist then. This movie relies a lot on the history of the 50’s, so make sure to watch a video or read a chapter of an American history text book or something, but also watch a few episodes of I Love Lucy and you’ll really appreciate this movie. All of that being said, this is a really well put together movie that just got very miscast, but that cast does their very best with the movie. There’s a whole lot to like here, just a few issues that shadow over the things that are good. I’d suggest giving it a watch, it was an enjoyable two hours. I’m giving Being the Ricardos a pretty solid 8/10. -Tyler.
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