Uneven film carried by uncanny portrayals and impactful message
Roger Ailes was a profoundly flawed guy. The disgraced former chairman and CEO of Fox News died in 2017. And although he was an unhealthy fellow, his fall from grace via a wide-reaching sexual harassment scandal no doubt contributed to his passing at age 77.
“Bombshell” is about the demise of his career. It’s also about the beginning of the end of an antiquated and insidious corporate culture. We see the story through the eyes of three women who stand up to him and the network that, for many years, looked the other way. Director Jay Roach (“Trumbo” and “Meet the Parents”) works from an inventive script by Charles Randolph (Oscar winner for “The Big Short”) to walk the tightrope between what we know and what we think we know.
Central to the success of this film is the uncanny performance by Charlize Theron as the polarizing former Fox superstar anchor, Megyn Kelly. Not only does Theron look the part, but the voice and mannerisms are spot on. While a lot of this movie makes use of amusing mimicry, Theron’s work creates a fully formed character that seamlessly melds with our pre-existing familiarity with the popular host. Theron is Kelly.
Read Jonathan’s full “Bomshell” review online and in print in the Times-Herald: https://newnan.com/2019/12/20/bombshell-uneven-film-carried-by-uncanny-portrayals-and-impactful-message/