'Being The Ricardos' Review: Bardem And Kidman Are Terrific In Sorkin's Anti-Biopic Which Zooms In On A Week In The Iconic Couple's Life

Arlington TX

13 December, 2021

6:24 PM

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By Joe Friar, Fort Worth Report December 12, 2021 Last year at this time there was a big buzz regarding Aaron Sorkin's "The Trial of the Chicago 7" which went on to earn six Oscar nominations. It was the renowned playwright and screenwriter's second turn behind the camera after making his directorial debut with 2017's "Molly's Game." This year the director's focus is on television's most famous couple, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz played by Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem who may not resemble the Hollywood icons but are still riveting to watch. There are enough glimpses of some of the funniest "I Love Lucy" episodes in "Being the Ricardos" to satisfy the fans but remember we're talking about a Sorkin film and so you can throw the idea of a standard biopic out the window. Sorkin zooms in on one of the most tumultuous weeks in the Hollywood couple's life. Lucy confronts Ricky about his infidelity while trying to save her marriage. Meanwhile, she's labeled a communist by radio broadcaster-gossip columnist Walter Winchell after discovering her possible ties to the party which puts Ricky in damage control as he tries to salvage his wife's career and the television show, and for the cherry on top, Lucy is pregnant and CBS execs are against incorporating her pregnancy on the show. We all know how that worked out; Little Ricky was adorbs. Let's talk about the cast. Kidman doesn't resemble Lucy despite the heavy makeup (it's the arch in the eyebrows for me) but she does come close to getting the gravelly voice down. That's a remarkable feat since Lucy was a known heavy smoker (who preferred Chesterfields over the sponsors Philip Morris brand) and Kidman is not. Still, it only takes a few minutes to get adjusted to the look difference as the American-born Australian actress encompasses the spirit of the comedic legend. Kidman is terrific as she portrays Lucy with vigor demonstrating how the actress was the glue that held that show together. She was "The Boss" no doubt in a male-dominated world who became proficient at working around misogyny in the workplace. Kidman's tenacious portrayal soars as a testament to Lucy's legacy. To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.