REVIEW: ‘Bombshell’ dissects harassment allegations at Fox News
Photo: Nicole Kidman stars as Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson in Bombshell. Photo courtesy of Hilary Bronwyn Gayle SMPSP / Provided by Lionsgate with permission.
Bombshell, the new movie directed by Jay Roach and starring Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie, is a reckoning of a film that addresses important issues that have come to the forefront of the American dialogue thanks to necessary social movements like #MeToo. On its surface, the drama is a exposé on the work culture found at Fox News under its former boss, Roger Ailes (John Lithgow, a convincing villain), but the themes run much deeper and provide a more universal understanding of how sexism and harassment can prove systemic, hurting and harming so many people along the way.
The story of this sad chapter in recent history is told through the eyes of three women: Megyn Kelly (Theron), who was one of the bonafide stars of the cable news network; Gretchen Carlson (Kidman), an anchor for Fox News who ultimately sued over Ailes’ actions and won; and Kayla Pospisil (Robbie), a fictional character who is new to the network and rising through the ranks.
Each of these women must endure one-on-one sessions with Ailes, and it doesn’t take long for his character’s comments and behavior to cross over into sickening territory. While many of these private encounters are dramatized by Roach and company, there’s also a very public spectacle occurring simultaneously. This is the news business, after all, and the work of these women is broadcast to millions of viewers on a daily or nightly basis. This is also the time of Donald Trump’s ascendancy (“locker room talk”) and the future president’s arguments with Kelly over her line of questioning in a presidential debate.
Roach, working off a script by Charles Randolph, is able to expertly move between the private and public, giving the audience a unique perspective on the stress and anxiety of how the lives of these professional women was so violated and disrupted.
The script is less effective when Theron’s character breaks the fourth wall and directly addresses the audience. This narration doesn’t necessarily add much to the proceedings, focusing more on the inner-workings of Fox News than better understanding what’s going through her mind during this ordeal. Sometimes the transition between monologues in the story and then out of the story can be jarring and slightly confusing.
Also, Kidman’s character deserves more airtime. Eventually Kelly’s ordeal on whether or not she will go public with her experiences involving Ailes becomes the movie’s main arc, and Carlson’s storyline is hardly mentioned — at least, until her deserved lawsuit and long-overdue apology are secured.
The most interesting angle comes from Robbie’s character. She receives an interesting backstory and a nice storyline with Kate McKinnon’s character. It’s also her interactions with Lithgow’s Ailes that prove to be the most uncomfortable sequences in the film. She yearns to follow in a similar path to Kelly and Carlson, wanting to work her way to the top of the network and onto TV screens around the world. But unfortunately horrible harassment in the workplace stops her professional advancement, and she’s left with few choices in a male-dominated culture that looks toward strong women for the perfection of their outward appearance, rather than their journalistic merit and honest credentials.
The acting from these three lead actors, plus the work of Lithgow, is wonderfully realized. Robbie’s Kayla is heartfelt and kind, holding out hope that things will change in her favor. Theron’s Kelly character transcends impersonation and truly gets at the motivations and sentiments of this news anchor. Kidman, as usual, is dependable and strong in the acting department.
Bombshell is an obvious response to the culture at Fox News and other TV networks (unfortunately shades of this story have been repeated in many newsrooms and office spaces), and it offers commentary on the positive changes that have emerged in light of the #MeToo movement. Although not a perfect film, Roach’s movie does succeed in continuing an important conversation and preserving a chapter in recent history that needs to be remembered — with the hopes that it is never repeated.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Bombshell (2019). Directed by Jay Roach. Written by Charles Randolph. Starring Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, Kate McKinnon and John Lithgow. Running time: 109 minutes. Rated R for sexual material and language throughout. Rating: 
