Telling any story about a sexual harassment case is difficult, especially one that has a profile like this one. Director Jay Roach takes on the intimidating challenge and does so with flying colors. This is a story needed to be told on a cinematic platform, one that is equal parts informative and entertaining. Expertly paced, Bombshell gets its point across in a succinct manner, without cutting corners or dramatizing too much of the story. This story is filled with victims, predators, detractors, and negligent bystanders. On top of the well-written screenplay and charming direction, Bombshell features some top-notch acting, highlighted by Charlize Theron's performance. Documenting the lives of three Fox News employees, Megyn Kelly (Theron), Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) and Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie), Bombshell portrays a systemic pattern of sexual harassment prevalent at the network, especially when it comes to chairman Roger Ailes (John Lithgow). Carlson, whose views tend to be slightly contradictory and not conservative enough for the Fox News network, constantly clashes with Ailes, and she is eventually fired without cause. Little does Ailes know, a sexual harassment suit is in the works, and the unjust termination sets the wheels in motion. Each woman plays an integral role in the exposure of the scandal, albeit in completely different ways. Well-versed and lightning-fast, writer Charles Randolph tells this story respectfully and with impact. Turning a corporate sexual harassment debacle into largely informative and entertaining cinema is no small feat, which is a testament to Randolph and Roach's work here. In addition to the well-known Fox News anchors Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson, Bombshell's third star is the fictional Kayla. Although she is technically a fictional character, Kayla is smartly used as a culmination of all the victims in this story, as she impactfully displays some of the shocking things to which these women were exposed. Theron steals the show, as she demands your attention and makes the movie feel completely authentic. Not far behind is Robbie, who plays the young, ambitious, do-anything-to-get-ahead type of character, and plays her perfectly. Lithgow and Kidman also put on a good show, in addition to the wonderful supporting cast. Bombshell does a good job at not generalizing its characters, especially the ones who have endured sexual harassment. It is easy to put all of them in a bucket and label them all the same way, but the film focuses on the unique nature of each case. These women had terrible experiences, but they did not have identical ones. Bombshell might be controversial, but probably for the wrong reasons. There is nothing controversial about what these women were subjugated to on a regular basis. Sometimes truth can be stranger than fiction, and this film should give courage to anyone that may be experiencing similar horrors.
