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Being the Ricardos is a Refreshingly Unconventional Biopic

Aaron Sorkin doesn’t rely on hero worship in his tribute to Lucile Ball‘s legacy. In his world, Ms. Ball is a cutthroat businesswoman who isn’t afraid to dress down anyone around her. She isn’t that way because it’s in her blood, her behavior is generated from years of rejection in the film industry. The childishness she portrays on I Love Lucy is her subconscious innocence wanting to go back out into the world, but it’s too late for her. 

Sorkin illustrates a tragic dichotomy between Ms. Ball’s reality and her sitcom persona. Lucy Ricardo is a fun-loving wife, whereas Lucille Ball is a dejected woman whose determination got her top. Similarly, Desi Arnaz had to prove himself in America to make it to the top. A woman and a Latino: two groups of people who were and to an extent still are marginalized in the entertainment industry. Despite all the riches in the world, Lucille couldn’t be content like Lucy was. She could buy a house but couldn’t find a place she could call home. Because of that emptiness, she’s embittered. 

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvrjCdtB0zM

Nicole Kidman is fantastic as Lucille Ball. I wouldn’t lie if I were to say I was a little worried when the picture started. Ms. Kidman sounded too much like herself, with only a hint of fifties gravitas added to her voice. Once she turned to the camera and activated Lucy’s voice, I got it right away. The similarities in the vocal range are staggering. Now I can’t watch I Love Lucy again without thinking about how much pain Ms. Ball went through psychologically when portraying that character. 

Ms. Ball is cruel to everyone around her. She openly mocks Executive Producer Jess Oppenheimer (Tony Hale) and constantly gaslights her best friend, Vivian Vance (Nina Arianda). The only force strong enough to push against Lucille is Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem). Desi is the positive energy to Lucille’s negative output. But that makes him far from a bed of roses. 

In a moment of triumph, Desi sends a message to the T.V. Executives “Don’t fuck with a Cuban.” In one of those Oscar moments, we have the “You can’t do that on television; it’s absurd!” scenarios. Lucy’s going to have a baby on television. The Studio’s objections don’t phase Lucille or Desi since they’re already the first interracial marriage on national television. Having a kid on T.V. is simply another uphill battle for the power couple to climb. 

Aaron Sorkin’s script stands as one of the better ones he’s written in years. Similar to his work on Steve Jobs, Sorkin is fully aware that movies are stage presentations. Everything from the blocking to the makeup and light placement is intentional to give the audience the illusion of watching reality when they’re fully aware that they’re not. Steve Jobs sized the late CEO’s life down to pre-show presentations. Before Steve would introduce the world to a new Apple product, everyone he wronged on the way there would encounter him. The same method is applied, yet more effectively in Being the Ricardos. It’s a week before taping an episode. Everything in Lucille’s life is crumbling. The press has accused her of being a Communist due to a misunderstanding, and Lucille has suspicions that Desi is unfaithful. 

I admire Mr. Sorkin for not taking a conventional approach to Lucille and Desi’s relationship. He examines the character’s flaws, showing how they’re petulant yet brave individuals. During moments of incredible uncertainty, one can crumble or rise to the occasion. Lucille and Desi rose to such occasions. At the same time, they couldn’t battle the demons inside of them. 

Everyone is treated like a human being instead of SNL characters. Javier Bardem doesn’t look or sound like Desi Arnaz, but he doesn’t have to since he captures the warm exuberance Mr. Arnaz must have brought to the room. Also, Dezi has to be a little intimidating during heated exchanges and the real Dezi Arnaz didn’t sound very scary. The guy who played the murderer Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men, is.

Vivian Vance (Nina Arianda) is the nation’s ugly nagging wife. Viv doesn’t want to be stuck doing such stereotypical roles second fiddle to her grouchy T.V. husband Fred Mertz and even grouchier in real life William Frawley. Tired of the exhaustive working environment Bill drowns his sorrows away on the job. J.K. Simmons might not directly resemble Mr. Frawley, but his intimidating dry humor fits the role like a glove. When Will isn’t making sarcastic undercutting remarks, he acts as a sort of father figure, mentoring everyone on set. 

Being the Ricardos is a wonderfully unconventional biopic. Making a show isn’t fun. Rather than laughing together, everyone is at each other’s throats. Not because they’re bad people, but they work in an industry that encourages bad behavior. In a dog-eat-dog world, Mr. Sorkin shows the reality beyond the pizzazz of classic Hollywood. The cast and crew of I Love Lucy were exhausted and psychologically tormented, but they made one of the most revolutionary shows of all time. Sorkin’s contribution to the team of that show is commendable. 

Written by Mike Crowley

Mike Crowley is a full member of the Chicago Indie Critics. He periodically produces video content for RogerEbert.com and writes weekly film reviews for his publication You'll Probably Agree. He also writes content for Film Obsessive from time to time. You can follow him on Twitter, Tik Tok, and Instagram @ypareviews

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