I'll be honest; I didn't have a whole lot of interest in this film upon its announcement. I'm a bit weary of Hollywood biopics in general, as they all seem to succumb to the same general list of genre pratfalls, even though there have been several of significant quality released this year (Straight Outta Compton being the best example). I was interested in the cast and general subject matter, but the trailer made it seem a bit ham-fisted in its message and the lack of prestige among the crew made me skeptical how well they could put it off. In recent weeks, however, it's been nominated for an unexpected number of precursor awards in the wake of Oscar season, and audience reception has been largely positive, so I decided to check it out.
Let me first talk about inarguably the best aspect of the film - the performances. Bryan Cranston is a powerhouse actor that is only now making a huge break to film (although he gives an understated but brilliant supporting performance in Best Picture winner Argo from a few years ago), and it shows in this film. He commands the lead role, copying not only the quirks and speech patterns of Trumbo, but adding a dash of character to him as well. Cranston is consistently convincing behind his bushy (and later curled) mustache, and he's simply a pleasure to watch on screen.
His costars are also great. Helen Mirren gets less screen time than I expected given her Oscar talk, but she still illuminates the screen with personality as journalist Hedda Hopper. I was actually very surprised with Elle Fanning's performance as Trumbo's oldest daughter, as she manages to convincingly play three significantly different ages with minimal makeup work. And I still can't decide if Louis C.K. is a bad actor or if I've jut watched too much of his TV show. Every line of dialogue in every movie he's been in since his big break (i.e. American Hustle, Blue Jasmine, and this) just sounds like him in his show, which I've admittedly watched every episode of at least three times. That said, it was fun to watch him, and his character is likable.
This movie has a very brisk and fun tone. Every scene is slickly edited, performed with energy, and underscored by hoppy jazz music. The costumes and sets are bright and fun, and Trumbo especially (true to his real-life counterpart) leads a cast of almost cartoonishly entertaining 1950s Hollywood stiffs. John Goodman, despite his limited screen time, is most notable for his reliably fun over-the-top performance (that baseball bat scene in the trailer is just as fun as it looks).
And therein lies probably the biggest and most glaring issue with the movie - I think it wants to be bigger and more "stick-it-to-the-man" than it actually is on the whole. The movie brings up some great political points (while being decidedly non-political), and each scene is fun to watch and has enough sharp wit and punchy dialogue to fit in a comic book, but the sum of its parts is not as effective as I think it could've been. It runs a little long and puts a little too fine a point on its fairly in-your-face (albeit essential) message, which it feels the need to repeat in ways more numerous than creative. I think a better edited script and a more seasoned director could've not only sewn great performances and lots of fun moments, but also added a real cerebral thematic element to the film and make it as a whole more effective.
Trumbo is by no means a must-see, but it's a fun, punchy, and sporadically thoughtful statement on expression, freedom, and American values that is elevated by its performances, the Oscar discussion around which is worthy. Its awards success doesn't surprise me.
Grade: B
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