Bombshell

Bombshell Story: A revealing look intoaccounts of sexual harassment in one of the most powerful and controversial media empires of all time – Fox News.

Bombshell Review: Based on the allegations made by Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) and Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman), against Roger Ailes (John Lithgow), the now-deceased chairman and CEO of Fox News and Fox Television Studios, ‘Bombshell’ also features Margot Robbie as Kayla Pospisil – a fictional producer meant to represent a composite of women who endured harassment from Roger Ailes.

The most striking aspect of the film is its casting and makeup. Both are truly remarkable, especially with Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly. The actress knocks it out of the park with her performance, and all the awards buzz around her is well-deserved. Theron’s rendition of Kelly allows the audience to get a glimpse of her life before, and after the allegations came out. The screenplay doesn’t spend as much time on Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson since the focus is narratively skewed towards Megyn Kelly and Kayla Pospisil. But that doesn’t take away from Kidman’s impactful performance, worthy of ‘Supporting Actress’ nominations. However, Margot Robbie is a favourite to win that accolade, with a moving portrayal of Kayla Pospisil. This fictional character embodies a lot of ambitious women who are often naïve about the compromises they are expected to make by their male superiors. John Lithgow as Roger Ailes perfectly captures the thinking process of men in powerful positions. Besides these lead characters, all the supporting performances are well put together.

While the casting, makeup and performances are commendable and riveting to watch, the screenplay often takes a surface view of the overall scandal. Considering that the firing or ‘resignation’ of Roger Ailes paved the path for other influential men to be brought down for their abusive sexual behaviours, this film deserves to be more compelling in its emotional delivery. It tries to balance its dark subject matter with humour, leading to tonality issues. There is some uneven pacing as the screenplay goes from one character’s perspective to the next. But, although the sum isn’t greater than its parts, this is an essential film that needs to be watched, considering the significance of its real-life events and what they did for the ‘Me Too’ movement.