by Josh Sewell
In this new documentary about the remarkable lives of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, director Amy Poehler utilizes hours of personal audio recordings from the family’s archives to let the pair narrate their own story. Individually, the duo’s early lives could be their own films: Arnaz was a refugee from Cuba who fled the revolution and left everything behind. Ball came from nothing and built a career as a model, chorus girl and actress in the studio system through an unparalleled work ethic.
Viewers who’ve seen Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos (also available on Amazon Prime Video, not-so-coincidentally) will be familiar with a lot of the narrative beats Poehler covers in the first half of the doc, but the couple was far more complicated in reality. It also proves how miscast Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem were in their roles.
Much more interesting than the creation of I Love Lucy and how it affected their marriage are the portions of the doc that chronicle Arnaz’s decisions that revolutionized television production. He thought of shooting the groundbreaking series on film, using multiple cameras and in front of a live studio audience. He also came up with the idea to air reruns while Ball took time off to have their second child. All of those choices became the industry standard, still in use today on many shows.
In addition, Desilu Productions – which they co-owned – was responsible for creating other iconic series, including Star Trek, Mission: Impossible and The Untouchables. So, they didn’t just influence comedy – they transformed television as a whole.
As one might expect from Ball and Arnaz’s complicated history, the second half of the doc gets into darker subjects, including their divorce; Arnaz’s problems with infidelity and alcoholism; and Ball’s inability to shake the character that made her a comedy legend. However, it’s still a poignant viewing experience thanks to Poehler’s obvious love for the pair, as well as heartwarming anecdotes from their children (Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill and Desi Arnaz Jr.) and performers who Ball mentored, including Carol Burnett and Bette Midler.
Lucy and Desi is rated PG for thematic elements, smoking and language. Available on Amazon Prime Video starting March 4.
Grade: B+
Viewers who’ve seen Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos (also available on Amazon Prime Video, not-so-coincidentally) will be familiar with a lot of the narrative beats Poehler covers in the first half of the doc, but the couple was far more complicated in reality. It also proves how miscast Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem were in their roles.
Much more interesting than the creation of I Love Lucy and how it affected their marriage are the portions of the doc that chronicle Arnaz’s decisions that revolutionized television production. He thought of shooting the groundbreaking series on film, using multiple cameras and in front of a live studio audience. He also came up with the idea to air reruns while Ball took time off to have their second child. All of those choices became the industry standard, still in use today on many shows.
In addition, Desilu Productions – which they co-owned – was responsible for creating other iconic series, including Star Trek, Mission: Impossible and The Untouchables. So, they didn’t just influence comedy – they transformed television as a whole.
As one might expect from Ball and Arnaz’s complicated history, the second half of the doc gets into darker subjects, including their divorce; Arnaz’s problems with infidelity and alcoholism; and Ball’s inability to shake the character that made her a comedy legend. However, it’s still a poignant viewing experience thanks to Poehler’s obvious love for the pair, as well as heartwarming anecdotes from their children (Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill and Desi Arnaz Jr.) and performers who Ball mentored, including Carol Burnett and Bette Midler.
Lucy and Desi is rated PG for thematic elements, smoking and language. Available on Amazon Prime Video starting March 4.
Grade: B+
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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