Cast. Rob Delaney, Allison Janney, Nicole Kidman, John Lithgow, Malcolm McDowell, Kate McKinnon, Margot Robbie, Charlize Theron.
Rating. 52%
Bombshell is a satirical docudrama focussing on the dramatised plights of three female Fox News staff members - two genuine (Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson) and one fictitious (Kayla Pospisil) - against the backdrop of the 2016 US Presidential election.
The film begins on the eve of Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly's (a standout performance from Charlize Theron) fateful stint as moderator of one of the Republican candidates' televised debate. Kelly was embroiled in controversy, after challenging the front runner, Donald Trump on his misogynistic attitudes, "Trump has a problem with women. I want to ask him about it." This line of questioning led to a social media backlash from the candidate and his supporters, with the now-notorious and despicable tweet from Trump, "There was blood coming out of her eyes; blood coming out of her wherever."
However, this opening merely serves as a preamble for the main thread of the storyline, the toxic, misogynistic environment of the Fox News channel and the ultimate demise of the Chairman and Chief Executive, Roger Ailes (a repugnant John Lithgow).
By the time Bombshell begins, 'Fox and Friends' anchor, Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) has already been axed from the network, but her allegations of sexual harassment by Roger Ailes and the subsequent lawsuit, eventually inspire a wave of testimonies from other women.
Bombshell is a glossy, cartoonish portrayal of Roger Ailes' demise. Director Charles Randolph fails to address the real-life social politics of the two main protagonists, and the racist attitudes of Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson's homophobia are conveniently glossed over. As such, Randolph plays safe creating audience sympathy for these victims of exploitation by powerful men, rather than examining the challenging concept of unlikeable leads who perpetuate these problems by working for such a right-wing news channel. As Kayla Pospisil says, "Did you think what your silence would mean, for us, the rest of us?"
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