Bombshell Movie Review

Leaves you shell-shocked

Bombshell brings to life the sexual harassment scandal that hit Fox network when two of its high ranking woman employees -- star anchor on Fox News Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), and the face of Fox & Friends Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman), first accuse and then bring down Roger Ailes (John Lithgow), the right-wing Chairman and CEO of the network who was finally fired when 23 women complained about him. Margot Robbie's character Kayla is a fictional amalgamation of dozens of ambitious young women exploited by Ailes during his reign.

John Lithgow is known for playing likeable characters and hence casting him as a grandfatherly figure who preys on young women is a masterstroke indeed. He doesn't look like a monster, and in fact is shown to be something of a genius, micromanaging the newsroom from his office filled with monitors, sniffing out mistakes like a bloodhound, telling editors how to spin a story so that it attracts maximum eyeballs. It's in his closed-door scene with Robbie that his ruthlessness comes through. She manages to get some time with him, making a case for how she can contribute much more in a better position. He jokes with her agrees to some of her ideas, puts her at her ease and then asks her to take a twirl in front of him. He asks her to raise her mini skirt higher and higher with every turn. What he's demonstrating is his power. What he's commanding is unflinching loyalty towards him. Shame and humiliation are writ large on her face during the confrontation. While he looks like a Mafia don, demanding omerta from those he controls.

Through clever use of make-up and prosthetics, as also her flair as an actor, Charlize Theron gets transformed into Megyn Kelly. Soon, she's talking directly to the camera, breaking the fourth wall, spilling out the inside dope on one of the most powerful networks in the world. You're hooked and want to know more. Bombshell isn't just about sexual harassment. It's also a critique on how news is dished out, how perception is created. Those were the days when Trump was campaigning for being the president. Megyn wants to confront him on his attitude towards women and he responds with a joke about her menstrual cycle. Everyone believes this will bring about his downfall but strangely his popularity takes a boost. That’s when probably the Fox started leaning towards Trump and helped him win the elections. Because in the end, it's all about the ratings, isn’t it.

The film shows how bad were things at Fox. When women employees learn that there is a hotline for reporting workplace misconduct, Megyn informs it’s a joke as everything in the network is recorded. When the allegations first come out, many female employees openly support Ailes. Even Megyn doesn’t support Gretchen initially, thinking that the move will harm her career. It’s only later when she learns of Kayla’s trauma that she thaws.

It’s the histrionics which makes Bombshell a compelling watch. The three main actresses, stars in their own right, seamlessly shed their stardom to become flesh and bone characters. They are ably supported by the entire ensemble cast. You feel as if you’re in the midst of a bustling new network office, catching a glimpse of the lives of the various reporters, anchors, editors and executives that are part of the circus. And John Lithgow is a force by himself. You love to hate him by the end of it all. A shout out to the costume and art department as well for a faithful recreation of costumes and places...

Trailer : Bombshell