By Emily-Rose Toohey
When it comes to iconic American sitcoms, ‘I Love Lucy’ is certainly one that immediately comes to mind.
Even if readers aren’t of the same generation, it’s likely you’ve heard the name before.
From 1951 to 1957, the show dominated evening viewership as audiences across the globe tuned in to watch the comedic ups and downs of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo’s marriage.
The film ‘Being the Ricardos’ details one tumultuous week in the life of Lucille Ball (portrayed by Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (portrayed by Javier Bardem): the real life people behind the famed sitcom characters.
Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, the film follows the fallout of Lucille Ball being publicly named a communist.
At the time, this was a massive deal.
The fear of communism during the Cold War ran rampant in the US and Lucille’s potential involvement was very nearly career-ending.
However, the movie makes it clear: she never partook in any communist activity and simply checked the box in tribute to a close friend.
The movie itself has a lot of potential: two A-list leads in an Aaron Sorkin film about real life people.
Basically, it’s the definition of Oscar-bait. As we know, the Academy loves nothing more than nominating two massive stars playing historical figures in a movie about … itself.
Yes, it deals with complications outside the set of ‘I Love Lucy’, but at the film’s heart is the trials and tribulation of show business.
It’s about the making of a classic sitcom in Hollywood’s ‘Golden Age’, the dynamics between actors and directors, and the poor treatment of staff in the industry.
However, does this formula make ‘Being the Ricardos’ any good? Well, kind of.
It’s easy for audiences to be fooled by fast-paced dialogue and captivating performance from its stars, especially an always-consistent Nicole Kidman.
It gives the illusion of a good film, but in reality, it’s very bland.
The actors do what they can with a very surface-level script, which is one of the film’s major weaknesses.
It lacks any emotional punch.
The failing relationship between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz is brushed over and the very obvious racial discrimination against Cuban-Americans is hardly explored.
This leaves a bitter taste in my mouth – the film could have been so much more affecting, powerful and purposeful.
Sorkin took the easy route.
The end result is another stereotypical two-hour Hollywood biopic, complete with information about its historical figures before the end credits.
While these criticisms may sound off-putting, the film does have positives. Mostly watch it for the performances – J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda are other stand-outs.
Another reason to watch is if you’re a fan of ‘I Love Lucy’.
As someone who is not overly familiar with every aspect of the sitcom, it’s likely hardcore fans may be thrilled watching re-enactments of their favourite scenes and getting a peak behind the curtain.
As a whole, the film is definitely a mixed bag (shout-out to Daniel Pemberton’s fun score), which may be received differently by audiences.
It’s not 2021’s greatest film, but it’s definitely not the worst.
‘Being the Ricardos’ was released on 21 December last year and is available for streaming now on Amazon Prime.
