Bombshell (2019)

Based on true events, this film tells the story of a few incredibly brave women, and their fight for truth and justice in the high-stakes world of broadcast cable news.

Set entirely in the Fox News headquarters in New York, during the presidential campaign in the lead-up to the 2016 election, the film centres around three women in particular, and their campaign to bring down the head of the network, accused of multiple counts of sexual harassment over several decades.

Popular anchor Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) is at the height of her career. With the prime timeslot on the Fox network, she has everything at her disposal. That is, until presidential hopeful Donald Trump tweets out an insult at her after a simple question that he refuses to answer. Once his supporters see the vitriolic messages online, they turn against her en masse, sending threatening messages of their own, including death threats.

Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) and Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie).

Meanwhile, less-popular anchor Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) is fighting a fight of her own, as the head of Fox News Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) feels her drive to report the truth is diametrically opposed to the network’s ideals. In fact, it becomes so difficult for the two of them to get along that she is fired.

Young up-and-coming reporter - who wishes to one day be an anchor herself - Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie) on the other hand, is climbing the ranks very quickly, as Ailes seems to have taken quite a shine to her. The trouble is, the things she has to do to get ahead stand in opposition to her conservative Christian faith.

After Gretchen is fired, she gets in touch with a law firm, accusing Ailes of decades of sexual harassment, and it isn’t long before other women - both current and former employees - begin to come forward.

Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) and Roger Ailes (John Lithgow).

The screenplay, written by Charles Randolph, is very well-constructed. One has to continually pinch oneself to remind one that this film is actually a true story, so shocking are the revelations and comments and views of many of the characters, particularly the male characters. The film uses a large amount of archival footage as well, reminding viewers of the truth and historical nature of the plot.

Theodore Shapiro’s music - as scarce as it may be - is brilliantly composed and constructed. There isn’t a lot of it, however, but the sections where it does feature are improved dramatically by the music. Shapiro uses his music exclusively to highlight the more intense psychological moments of the story, and it works well in every instance.

I was not a big fan of the cinematography in this film, I’m sad to say. While cinematographer Barry Ackroyd does have a good grasp of light and dark, shadow and contrast, the enormous amount of hand-held camera and quick movement left me feeling nauseous at the best of times, and not because of the subject matter. There are a lot of very close shots as well - in fact, most shots are way too close in my opinion.

Kayla (Margot Robbie) and Jess (Kate McKinnon).

The performances of the cast are quite good, though. There is actually an enormous ensemble cast in this film, including Jay Duplass as Megyn Kelly’s long-suffering husband, Allison Janney as Ailes’s lawyer, and even appearances by the Murdoch family (not the real thing, they’re played by actors). The three lead female actors are all fabulous, none more so than Margot Robbie, who could be on her way to yet another Oscar nomination.

John Lithgow is also fantastic as Ailes. Were it not for his name in the opening credits, one may not even recognise him in this role. He not only looks very different in a physical sense, but his portrayal of the character is so well done, and so different from anything else he has done before, he may also be in line for a nomination this year.

Director Jay Roach has made a pretty good film here, certainly a film that will be talked about for a long time, and especially in this time of award ceremonies. I wouldn’t say you need to rush out and see it on the big screen, but you definitely do need to watch it; it is an important story filled with important issues.

8 out of 10.

Destroyer (2018)

A film that was completely passed over at this year’s Academy Awards – though it should have won in nearly every category – this is an incredible work from all involved.

LAPD detective Erin Bell (Nicole Kidman) is drawn back into an old case from seventeen years earlier when a John Doe is found dead under a bridge with three bullet wounds.

She had been working undercover all those years ago, along with her partner Chris (Sebastian Stan), infiltrating a criminal gang led by charismatic, controlling leader Silas (Toby Kebbell). And it seems that this new case may be closely linked to this same gang, or at least the same Silas.

Now she must revisit past relationships (and past wounds) and try to get to the bottom of the case, a case which she is not officially authorised to be investigating, while also trying to mend her relationship with her estranged 16-year-old daughter Shelby (Jade Pettyjohn) and ex-husband Ethan (Scoot McNairy).

I really can’t say any more than that without giving too much away. Believe me, you will want to experience this masterpiece for yourself.

Told with a mixture of scenes from current day, along with flashbacks from the initial undercover investigation, this film is a high-octane thrill ride from cryptic beginning to incredibly satisfying yet unexpected ending.

The screenplay, by Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi, is so cleverly written. Mark my words, in the same way that Robert Towne’s screenplay for the classic film Chinatown was used in screenwriting courses for decades after the film’s release, this screenplay will soon be used in the same way. It is expertly crafted, with every single line of every single scene crucial to the overall piece. And by the end of the film, you will be just as impressed with their attention to detail throughout as I was.

Nicole Kidman gives what is undoubtedly the standout best performance of her entire career, balancing the action and grit of a hard-nosed police detective with the heart of a mother who wants nothing more than the best for her child, even if that child wants nothing whatsoever to do with her.

In fact, thanks to makeup designer Bill Corso, and hair stylist Barbara Lorenz, Kidman is also completely unrecognisable. And I’m not just talking about a prosthetic nose like she had for The Hours. This is an all-over full facial transformation; well, not full facial. What I mean is the tone and texture of her skin is completely different. She still has full use of her face (as in, it’s not obscured by overdone prosthetic work), but the face you see is so far removed from her own face, you almost won’t recognise her.

Jade Pettyjohn as the obstinate estranged daughter also gives an incredible performance. Again, I spent the entire film trying to work out who it was playing the role, her portrayal is so different from anything else she has done before. I knew that I had seen her before, but couldn’t place it at all until seeing the credits at the end of the film, at which point I was shocked, yet pleasantly surprised, to see how far she has come in a relatively short space of time.

Honourable mentions must go to Tatiana Maslany as gang member Petra, and to Bradley Whitford as DiFranco, a slightly crooked attorney, a role which he plays exceptionally well here (again, very different from anything I have seen him in before).

Cinematographer Julie Kirkwood has such a gift for the use of light and shadow, perfectly capturing every shot in a way that makes it look much easier than I’m sure it is.

The score (by Theodore Shapiro) is gritty, grounded in remarkably unique instrumentations. And, in my opinion, the best feature of the score is that it is not at all overused, but used incredibly sparingly and only in the most significant moments of the film. We don’t even hear a ‘traditional’ musical instrument until close to the end of the movie.

Director Karyn Kusama has achieved something I have never seen before in a film in this genre: a perfect balance between hard-core crime thriller and heartfelt, tear-jerking drama. It will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end, but also reaching for a tissue in several moments.

Get out there and see it while you can; it’s best to see a film like this on the big screen if possible.

10 out of 10.