Movie Review: Trumbo
By Thalia Badio, Contributor
[ShivHans Pictures; 2015]
Rating: 3/5
Sigh.
With a historical topic gold-mine such as the American Red Scare, Trumbo really is quite a let-down. With a phenomenal cast composed of some of Hollywood’s favorites such as John Goodman, Helen Mirren and Louis C.K., audiences may walk into the movie theater expecting nothing short of the best, only to be left with nothing but a crumpled popcorn bag and a heart unfulfilled.
Some movie enthusiasts’ standards may be lowered, however, due to the fact that the movie was directed and envisioned by the man who created the Austin Powers franchise. While those movies were fun, it would be a ridiculous fantasy to call them anything close to the distinguished cinematic dream that this movie strives for.
Most of the fault of this movie falls on the script. The scenes are choppy and over-explained, and certain throw-away characters and moments detract from the meaning of the story. The most uneventful arc, during Dalton Trumbo’s time in jail, was literally cringe-worthy at times--especially the moments featuring the pathetically constructed and racist character Virgil, a black man who Trumbo meets during his time behind bars. Throughout the entire movie, the scenes regarding race relations were underdeveloped and under-researched, something viewers should be very disappointed to see.
Another disappointing aspect of the film was the utterly lacking soundtrack; with a rich expanse of decades to choose from, this film ignored some great moments for music. The '40s? '50s? '60s? '70s? And nothing but half-assed minor chords?!
Any Oscar-buzz this movie might receive will probably stem from a fan-based love of actors, not any of the actual moments presented in the film. The story, the editing and the score left much to be desired. Trumbo, while it will no doubt have financial success, on the whole fails to encapsulate an important period of history.
