BEING THE RICARDOS (2021) 

"Follows Lucy and Desi as they face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage."

OUR [TO THE POINT] REVIEW:

There is a lot that worked for me here, and a lot that didn’t. Sorkin consistently delivers his usual quick, snappy dialogue but his choice of direction sometimes left me questioning if it was the correct move. The pseudo documentary style interviews with the real-life people that set the stage for the narrative pulled me out of the story instead of burying me in it. I could’ve watched a feature length film with just those interviews, but weaving them into the story reminded me how out of place they were, and gave the impression that Sorkin didn’t trust his audience to follow along. It was almost a lazy, cheap way of making it clear to the audience what was actually happening, when it wasn’t so difficult in the first place, it just complicates it unnecessarily.

However, I mostly loved the portrayal of Lucille Ball. A strong-headed woman who knows her craft. The queen of physical comedy doesn’t back down from the continued attempt to brush off her questioning the writers and producers on if a joke works for the audience, or if the camera blocking should be changed—or, if the network is trying to deny her being visibly pregnant on camera. Nicole Kidman could never actually be Lucy—no one can for that matter, but I appreciate her performance even though she barely comes close to the real deal.

As much as I wanted to adore this, I had too high of expectations that were only half met so I am forced to give this a half popcorn.

CONCLUSIVE VERDICT: