341. Being The Ricardos; movie review

 

 

BEING THE RICARDOS

Cert 15

131 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language

"Would people like it so much if they did not know who Lucille Ball was?"

Mrs. W's question is a pertinent one, especially when one realises that I Love Lucy, one of the most famous series in American TV history, ended three years before even old fogeys like me were born.

Indeed, to be really plugged into the nuances of Aaron Sorkin's Being the Ricardos, you probably need to be 70 plus.

Therefore, I recommend a bit of reading or YouTubing to mug up on Lucille and her husband Desi Arnaz to enable full enjoyment of this excellent movie.

Nicole Kidman is superb as Ball, previously a low-standing star who made her name with the visual comedy of I Love Lucy.

Kidman is virtually unrecognisable as the actress who has a brilliant eye for the hilarious but, despite, her success is lonely.

This is because Arnaz (played by the brilliant Javier Bardem) is seldom at home due to his all-night 'business meetings'.

Despite their problems off-screen, the two make a formidable combination at the studios and on stage.

However, according to Sorkin's movie, there was one hellish week, when it appeared that Ball was in danger of being cancelled.

For dramatic effect, he lumps in other tumultuous revelations about her life with Arnaz which were true but did not happen in the same seven-day period.

He does this to reflect the rollercoaster marriage of Lucille and Desi as well as their relationship with CBS and their sponsor, cigarette company Philip Morris.

On this occasion, the blurring of history is merited.

Kidman and Bardem are excellent throughout and are complemented superbly by J.K.Simmons and Nina Arianda as their TV bickering co-stars William Frawley and Vivian Vance.

Meanwhile, Tony Hale plays Jess Oppenheimer who had the unenviable task of being producer of a show which, despite its warring factions, made the whole of America laugh.

Being The Ricardos gives a pinpoint reflection of the politics, racism and social norms of the early 1950s and how television had grabbed a nation desperate to be lifted up after the Second World War.

It just feels that it would have resonated more if it had been made at least 20 years ago.

Reasons to watch: Wonderful performances

Reasons to avoid: Many people may not know who Lucille Ball was

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 9/10

Did you know? Desilu Productions — named for its founders, Lucille and Desi — was formed in 1950. And until its reincorporation into Paramount Television in 1967, it not only produced I Love Lucy, but it also brought Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, and The Untouchables to the small screen.

The final word. Nicole Kidman: "Everyone knows Lucy. She’s become part of our history as a comedienne. In the same way as there’s Abbott and Costello, there’s Lucille Ball. You have a sense of that female clown. But as with a lot of comedians, they’re not funny people. They work on being funny. … These people worked so hard to make something funny so that we could all laugh. They actually bled for that. They gave their souls to make us laugh.” Hollywood Reporter

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