Being the Ricardos
By Joanna Langfield
I’m all for showing the love for Lucy (and Desi) but I’m not sure this homage will make us feel it.
We can pretty much count on Aaron Sorkin to bring us an intellectually interesting story. And what happened to Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz is certainly that. Not only did the two create one of the most groundbreaking television series of its and any time, they went up against social mores, wary industry professionals and even the US government, which conducted an investigation to find out whether Lucy was a member of the Communist Party. Oh. And maybe Desi was having some affairs on the side. And, in what has become typical Sorkin style, we get to see it all happen simultaneously.
Oddly, while Sorkin’s almost trademark rat-a-tat pacing has whipped us up and carried us along with it in many other productions, it doesn’t always here. It is, again, interesting to watch Javier Bardem bring Desi’s intelligence, grit and charm to the screen. And it’s interesting to see what Nicole Kidman does with the iconic role of Lucille Ball. She’s good, but, maybe less shackled by expectations, Nina Arianda and J.K. Simmons, as Vivian Vance and Williams Frawley, are far more fun and hit emotional spots for us their co-stars don’t.
Still, I’m happy to see veterans who literally changed everything get the recognition they’ve earned, even in a piece as uneven and unemotional as this.
The Movie Minute 