Cert: 15 | ★★★★✩
At the height of the McCarthy era — the period in the 1950s which saw many left-leaning American intellectuals, artists and Hollywood stars falsely accused of colluding with the Soviet Union - legendary TV star Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy), found herself as the unlikely target of Senator Joseph MaCarthy’s commission. Ball was accused of bering part of the American Communist party, but was later exonerated.
In Being The Ricardos, West Wing creator and master of snappy dialogue Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, Steve Jobs, Molly’s Game) presents a thrilling and fast-paced biopic in which Nicole Kidman plays Ball while Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) is Desi Armaz, Ball’s Cuban American ex husband and co star.
Being the Ricardos also stars J. K. Simmons (Whiplash) as William Frawley, Nina Arianda as Vivian Vance (Florence Foster Jenkins), Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development, First Cow) and Jake Lacy (Miss Sloane, The White Lotus). Elsewhere, Dan Sachoff is CBS exec David Levy, Tony Hale is show runner Jess Oppenheimer and Clark Gregg is CBS’s Howards Wenke.
The action takes place during one fateful week in 1953 and charts the panic that ensued behind the scenes of the legendary sit-com and its writers’ room as producers, writers and actors scramble to dismiss the accusations. Meanwhile, far from being perturbed by the commission’s outlandish accusations, Ball is preoccupied with rumours and gossip surrounding her husband’s alleged infidelities.
There were raised eyebrows when Kidman was cast as Ball, some finding it hard to imagine her as the legendary comedienne. Thankfully, all of these doubts dissipate the moment she appears on screen. She plays Ball with a mixture of nonchalance and heartfelt resilience. Far from attempting to emulate the legendary sit-com star’s infamous shrillness on screen, Kidman delivers a truly outstanding performance from start to finish, offering a side of her not many knew.
Sorkin presents a sharp and brilliantly written biopic which manages to successfully avoid the usual tropes attached to these types of narratives. And while it often feels overly populated by perhaps, one too many characters, Being the Ricardos is never dull, nor does it ever feel overlong. This is mostly thanks to some wonderful performances courtesy of Kidman and Bardem, but also thanks to Shawkat and Lacy who are just sublime as the bickering writing duo Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll.
I Love Lucy was never as popular or as era-defining on this side of the Atlantic but those of us who have been fans of the show and of Lucille Ball’s particular brand of physical comedy will find a lot to enjoy here. An absolute joy!