"Bombshell" Review - Evil and Doubt On Both Aisles

If you’re a viewer watching “Bombshell” without knowing anything else from the stories of the Fox News harassment scandal, you may enjoy it more, which is always a good thing. However, if you’re like me, who saw the Showtime series, “The Loudest Voice”, this film may seem dull in comparison.

“Bombshell” is a very well made film in it’s own right, but lacks being something more than just a biopic on the women who took Roger Ailes down. There’s certainly an interesting story, but what it misses is going above and beyond with all the technical details. The script feels rushed at many points, the way the director chose how to edit the film is clunky and even at some points confusing, and the cinematography is nothing to go crazy about. It’s a bit hard to describe, but the best way I can say it is it’s just plain with no gooey sweet taste to keep you talking about it once you leave the theater.

It’s not easy trying to separate it from the series. The show was about Roger Ailes specifically, and the movie is about the women themselves to come forward. But one of them tries it’s damn hardest to stand out and keep you in your chair for seven long hours, while the other does the bare minimum to entertain you and has the unfortunate restraint of two hours to tell the story of how the women of Fox News took down one of the most evil and powerful CEOs in history, even if you’re not sure what is true and what is not (there’s some powerful NDAs getting in the way of some sources).

Besides being something that is super plain, “Bombshell” does shine a light on the problems of sexual harassment and the crazy story of not only trying to brave the obstacles of coming out, but doing so in an evil eyed cult that embraces Fox News. There are some wonderful performances by Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow, and Megyn Kelly clone, Charlize Theron that help get those positive messages out there, but the acting is all that really stands out.

Truly it all depends on if you’ve seen “The Loudest Voice”. It honestly does make a difference that will make your feelings on this film land on the love or no opinion side. One that is either fair and balanced, or one that is simply not.

Neutral Nebs