Being the Ricardos

Directed by Aaron Sorkin, Being the Ricardos follows Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) as they attempt to deal with a series of crises during one especially tumultuous week on the set of I Love Lucy. Filmmaker Sorkin, armed with his own screenplay, delivers a watchable yet thoroughly erratic drama that remains, for the most part, unable to wholeheartedly capture the viewer’s attention, as the movie, which runs a palpably padded-out 131 minutes, is ultimately unable to overcome the near disastrous casting of both Kidman and Bardem in the central roles – with the performers turning in entirely unconvincing work that generally prevents the viewer from working up much interest in or sympathy for the various problems faced by both Lucy and Desi. The actors’ consistently distracting efforts pave the way for a hit-and-miss midsection that fares best when focused on the iconic series’ behind the scenes happenings, with the effectiveness of such sequences heightened by a top-tier supporting cast that includes J.K. Simmons as costar William Frawley and Tony Hale as showrunner Jess Oppenheimer. The final result is a woefully uneven endeavor that’s rarely, if ever, as enthralling or captivating as one might’ve assumed based on the premise, which is a shame, ultimately, given that the picture does boast its fair share of positive attributes.

**1/2 out of ****