JASON EVANS' 100-WORD REVIEWS: Being The Ricardos

 Kidman’s performance leaves this Lucy tribute lacking


Film Critic Jason Evans is on a mission to tell you everything you need to know about movies in less time than it takes to stomp grapes into wine. Jason’s reviews are exactly 100 words (not 99, not 101). This is his 100 word review of Meet The Ricardos.

The Premise – Welcome to the worst week in the life of Lucile Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem). Lucy is worried Desi is cheating on her, they are trying to figure out how to tell CBS that Lucy is pregnant, and there are rumors flying around that Lucy is secretly a communist. Through flashbacks and tense interactions with the cast and crew we get the history of how this couple came to be the most popular stars on television… but it could all come crashing down at any moment. The film is written and directed by Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, The West Wing, Trial of the Chicago 7). It also stars J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) as William Frawley, the man who played Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy.

The 100 Words – Though a high-quality production laced with Sorkin’s crackling dialogue, Kidman is horribly miscast as Lucy. She has none of the comedic skills or physical abilities that made Lucy into a legend. Plus, she is forced to operate behind annoying facial prosthetics that make it even harder for her to generate a believable performance. The rest of the cast, especially the supporting characters, are stellar and it is fun to see the politics and practicality of how TV worked in the 1950s, but the film drags through the middle third. Sorkin needed both a tighter script and a different lead actress.   

Reach out to Jason Evans on Twitter @JasonDukeEvans

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