Directed by Jay Roach and based on the true story of American screenwriter and novelist Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston), Trumbo narrates the story of the Hollywood Ten’s struggle against the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Founded by Trumbo and nine Communist friends, the Hollywood Ten was blacklisted by the industry and subsequently jailed for contempt as a result of Trumbo’s refusal to testify before the HUAC.
The highest paid screenwriter at one point, Trumbo scripted films including Roman Holiday, Exodus, Spartacus, and Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. This movie vividly recounts the very liberal ideas that today’s contemporary society is built on, through a vivid narrative of how we had come to recognize that supporting the Commies doesn’t make you any different from anyone else.
It is a truly well-deserved Best Actor Oscar nomination for the Emmy award-winning Bryan Cranston – the television actor, producer-extraordinaire and the star of Breaking Bad. He was simply electrifying, embodying Trumbo’s vigour, posture, speech and quirks, delivering lines, never mind how riled his whiskers go. It is nothing short of a winning crossover to the big screen. Of course, there is no hero without a worthy adversary. Helen Mirren serves up the works as Hollywood veteran and gossipmonger Hedda Hopper that was comical, enchanting and full of spice.
The change in cast from Madison Wolfe to Elle Fanning as Nikola Trumbo to reflect the 11 months Trumbo spent in jail was flaky but the film managed to recover from that with the help of Elle Fanning’s sharp acting. She channelled Cranston’s spirit in a true father-daughter way with impassioned words that held as a counterweight to her father’s heady moments in the pursuit of winning.
The nudity in the show is a little gratuitous, but does elevate the authenticity of the movie. Multiple occurrences are staged to showcase, or to explain, Trumbo’s naked ambition to write while taking long baths. It is said that the real Dalton Trumbo had to take long baths to ease his back pain from being hunched over the typewriter. He was such a workaholic that he brought in his writing materials to continue writing while in the bath.
While it was slightly risqué, there was very little risk taking. The movie was slow-moving for the most part, taking a toll on the audience in the two-hour show. The story progressed in a flat and chronological manner, that was heavier in breadth than depth. The only salvation was the dialogue equipped with witty comebacks and a dictum about the purity of Jesus to boot. It was funny and clever, bordering on arrogance with a smirk that somehow worked. Undoubtedly, much of the credit is due to the ingenious dialogue delivery by Bryan Cranston and the cracking Helen Mirren.
A strong theme running throughout the movie is the notion of winning. The movie explores it from different perspectives, from Eddie (Michael Stuhlbarg) and his betrayal of the whole Hollywood Ten, so that he can go back to using his pretty face to earn money, or Arlen Hird’s (Louis C.K) submission of his script that still spoke of his forbidden Communist beliefs. Whether personally, collectively and or in spirit, it sifts through the theme finely to give a nuanced point of view for poignant reflection.
Trumbo had them lofty ambitions, but he showed us that it was important to have faith and keep fighting, and ultimately, to hold fast to your will to win. The movie Trumbo shows us that you don’t just fight for the sake of fighting; you fight the good fight for ideals beyond yourself. It is more than a triumphant display of the rewards of working hard and being good at your job, but to persevere despite the odds stacked against you. If your work is good, nobody can bring you down.
There is also a question of whether writers write to be heard, to make a change or write to satiate populist demands. The movie is so very inspirational and speaks to the heart of all writers. The undercurrent of the movie is both noble and idealistic which makes me want to march forward wielding my mightiest pen to wage a war for the greater good.
With only one Oscar nomination for Trumbo, it seems like this movie is passable in the midst of so many Oscar contenders vying for our attention in the Oscar season. However, give this movie a shot. There might just be a chance that Cranston’s performance sneak his way to become the top dog. Watch it and be the judge for yourself.
Watch the movie trailer here:
Release Date: 25 February 2016
Rating: PG13 (COARSE LANGUAGE)
Running Time: 124 minutes
Directed By: Jay Roach
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Helen Mirren, Diane Lane and Elle Fanning
