Being the Ricardos review
Nicole Kidman, Nina Arianda, and Alia Shawkat all give brilliant brilliant performances as some of the OG women in comedy in Being the Ricardos. Image courtesy of Amazon Studios.
Being the Ricardos explores an era where men dominated comedy, and the fear of communism dominated America.
Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin
Rating: 🔥 that’s hot
Lucille Ball may rule the ratings, but when her political affiliations are questioned at the height of the red scare, the week that follows is a mix of stress and fear fueled hyper-focusing. Rather than focusing on what may happen if she is labeled as a communist, Lucy becomes obsessed with two things. 1: An article that questions Desi’s fidelity, and 2: a poorly written introductory scene for an episode of I Love Lucy.
This movie packs a punch and brings up a lot of issues like the dynamics of a 1950s marriage, the constrictive and limited capacity for women in comedy, and the ramifications of paranoia at the height of the red scare. Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman give great performances as Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. Playing such well known and iconic actors is a tall order, and while I don’t think the two particularly looked like Lucy and Desi (particularly Javier Bardem) I do think that they embodied their personalities and charm. Being the Ricardos is definitely worth the watch and can be streamed now on Prime Video.
Review written by Zianna Weston
Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem in Being the Ricardos. Image courtesy of Prime Studios.
