ReelBob: ‘Bombshell’ ★★½

By Bob Bloom

“Bombshell” is an indictment of the toxic misogynistic environment that infested Fox News, generated from its leader, Roger Ailes, and cascading upon the executives, producers and male newscasters and commentators working for him.

The problem is that director Jay Roach’s movie is told in an entertaining manner that dilutes the outrage that should accompany the project.

Like most dramas based on true events, “Bombshell” blends fact and fiction, detailing the struggles of Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) and Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman), with those of a fictional composite character, Kayla Pospisil, portrayed by Margot Robbie.

Also detracting is the script by Charles Randolph, which portrays mostly every male at Fox as either a spineless toady or a sexist lout.

The specifics of the story basically is public record: in separate actions, Carlson and Kelly file lawsuits attacking a culture of sexual harassment at Fox and by Ailes, played by John Lithgow, in a fat suit that would make Russell Crowe proud.

“Bombshell” works best when it focuses on the situation’s inner-office politics. Silence and fear are the weapons that keep others from speaking out.

Also, other women at Fox, most noticeably and vocally Judge Jeanine Piro — a delightfully obnoxious Alanna Ubach — believe Carlson’s and Kelly’s lawsuits are merely actions to achieve publicity and more money from the company.

“Bombshell” lacks a true focus. Carlson and Kelly should be the epicenter of the story, but the script flies off on too many tangents — including a needless romantic subplot involving Robbie’s Pospisil, a conservative Evangelical Republican, and a coworker, portrayed by Kate McKinnon.

Despite its flaws, the movie does create sympathy for its three main protagonists. You feel for them, as these intelligent and gifted women must contend with a patriarchal system that fails to recognize and appreciate their talents.

The movie also is disjointed because it’s not sure where it wants to take us. It’s a cinematic pendulum swinging back and forth from satire to an inspirational empowerment drama.

It’s also, at some moments, sensationalistic, like a cinematic version of the “National Enquirer.”

Oddly, “Bombshell” cannot climb to the moral outrage and true disgust needed to truly take the film seriously.

A few moments do stand out: most notably, when the naïve Pospisil is given an audience with Ailes, who asks her to pose and hike up her skirt. Robbie is masterful during the sequence, showing the vulnerability and disillusionment that envelops her.

“Bombshell” also works when it views the overall crudeness of the network. The anchors’ desks are made of glass and the women newscasters are told to wear short skirts.

At one point, Ailes rails at Carlson for not wearing lipstick.

Roach deftly captures the ambience of male chauvinism and noxious entitlement that permeated nearly every floor at Fox’s New York headquarters.

It’s worth seeing “Bombshell” for the performances of Theron, Kidman, Robbie and, yes, even Lithgow. After viewing his scenes, however, you may feel like you need to immediately shower.

Even though the story has been told before and you can read about it a newspaper or online, “Bombshell’s” major asset is offering hope and courage to other women who, though not as well-known or financially independent, can have their voices heard.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

BOMBSHELL
2½ stars out of 4
(R), sexual material, language