Hmm, Not Sure About Nicole Kidman Playing Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin Penned Biopic

Lucy & Desi: A Home Movie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Boy, it’s a major acting challenge playing Lucille Ball. We all love Lucy and it seems almost sacrilegious for anybody attempting to portray the legendary actress.

Has to happen sooner or later, though.

Was thinking almost the same thing about Judy Garland and Renee Zellweger nailed that portrayal — even if the script was a bit suspect.

I mean this is like epic, near impossible tough acting gig. Nicole Kidman is talented, but I didn’t care much for her portrayal of a lesser actress (Elizabeth Montgomery) in the Bewitched remake with Will Ferrell. Also, that was scripted by Nora Ephron!

(This project is scripted by Aaron Sorkin, and I enjoyed what he did on The West Wing, so there is worthy writing firepower here)

Kidman playing Lucy in a biopic? Don’t know. Prosthetics are amazing these days, so they probably can make her look very, very much like Lucy. They made Charlize Theron look almost identical to Megyn Kelly — so much that it confused Kelly’s child — but there’s much more to acting than physical appearance (see: 20+ Bombshell Reviews – Charlize Theron Portrayal of Megyn Kelly Not Award-worthy)

Who else might be able to play the famous comedian? Margot Robbie? She played Harley Quinn, Tonya Harding, why not Lucy? She’s younger though, and maybe they wanted somebody a little older for the part. Casting is hard when you’re talking about really famous people like Lucille Ball.

Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem are in negotiations to play Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in Amazon and Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos, the film about the relationship between the I Love Lucy stars. Having penned the screenplay, Academy Award winner Sorkin also will direct the film from Amazon Studios and Escape Artists. The film is set during one production week of I Love Lucy — Monday table read through Friday audience filmin g— when Lucy and Desi face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage.

Nicole Kidman To Play Lucille Ball, Javier Bardem As Desi Arnaz In Biopic – Deadline

Don’t know much about Javier Bardem, but I believe casting Desi Arnaz will be significantly easier than Lucy, especially if he doesn’t have to sing and do the conga.

Anyway, I’m intrigued with the project, especially after seeing Lucy’s daughter’s excellent documentary that is linked at the top of this post. Lucy and Desi had a very explosive relationship that is ripe for a biopic.

I wonder what Lucy and Desi’s children think about this project? Am sure we’ll hear more if this actually makes it into production without revised casting. The article does state that both actors are merely negotiating, contracts have not been signed as of this writing.

Ozzy Osbourne “Very Adult” Biopic Under Development, Says Rocker’s Wife

He snorted ants with Motley Crue, pissed on the Alamo, bit off the heads of a dove and a bat, and that’s just a small part of his insane antics. An Ozzy Osbourne biopic is on the way and it will not be for kids, says Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy’s manager and wife.

Ozzy himself said his relationship with Sharon, whom he married in 1982, is a key part of the movie, which is currently in “active development” and has a writer in place. “It’s how we met, fell in love, and how we married. She’s my other half. She grew up a lot with me, and I grew up a lot with her,” said the 71-year-old music icon.

Sharon Osbourne says Ozzy biopic won’t be ‘squeaky clean’

After reading Ozzy’s book, which is crazy itself, if the movie just documents half of his wild stunts, it will blow away audiences wondering how this guy is still alive at 71+.

This biopic project is in early, but active, development according to the article. In the meantime, you can catch a very small part of Ozzy on screen by watching The Dirt on Netflix, which tells of the debauchery of the band Motley Crue.

Are you looking forward to seeing an Ozzy Osbourne biopic? Will admit I’m intrigued. I would be almost as interested in seeing a biopic of Ozzy’s first guitarist, Randy Rhoads, so not sure how he gets worked into the Ozzy movie.

Taron Egerton goes From Playing Rocketman to Tetris Man

Rocketman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Taron Egerton, who played one heckuva impressive version of Elton John is going to be starring in another biopic. Only this person isn’t famous for music, but a block-shaped videogame. Bet you’ve seen or played it, too.

Titled Tetris, it tells the story of a Cold War-era legal battle that took place surrounding the intellectual property for the legendary video game. Taron Egerton will play Henk Rogers, who eventually won the rights to Tetris for himself and the man who originally created the game, who spent years fighting several different parties before he ended up getting paid.

After Playing Elton John, Taron Egerton Is Heading To Another Biopic – CINEMABLEND

How popular is the game Tetris? This article says it’s the world’s most popular videogame. Wikipedia has a long article on it and, as indicated in the article above, there is drama surrounding the game’s licensing history.

It would be kind of funny if Taron Egerton breaks into some Elton John song like Goodbye Yellowbrick Road while playing a game of Tetris. I know, not going to happen, but at least as a promotional video or something. We can always dream.

Have you/do you play Tetris? Does a movie based on the game sound interesting? I suppose even the most dry subject matter can be put into a creative, entertaining story.

10+ Sergio Reviews – Biopic Besieged By Poorly Utilized Flashbacks

Sergio ⭐️⭐️½ 

If a movie about geopolitics centered around the true story of “Sergio” Vieira de Mello, a United Nations diplomat from Brazil, doesn’t strike you as must-viewing during a pandemic, you couldn’t be more wrong. What better time to celebrate a man who put human rights above politics as usual?

‘Sergio’ Review: Portrait of a U.N. Peacemaker as Real-Life Superhero – Rolling Stone

There are spoilers that follow, so if you haven’t seen the Netflix movie yet and are interested in doing so, you may want to come back here afterwards and see how your feelings line up with others about the movie.

… you’ve been warned, SPOILERS ahead …

Too many flashbacks do not move the story forward

Yes.

Thumbs way up for Wagner Moura and Ana de Armas

The best part of the movie was the acting by the two leads. Great chemistry.

Seemed more interested in telling a love story

I like romances as part of other stories and even some standalone, but felt there was a lot more to Sergio than a love story as the primary story. We don’t really ever get to explore how he became the great Sergio that is so well respected and esteemed.

Reviews by Others

How do others feel about Sergio?

Recommended

1. DiscussingFilm / Andrew J. Salazar: “Worth one’s time thanks to its lead stars- it will be hard for some to hold in tears roll the credits. Though the audience will have to give some leeway for faults”
2. Irfan Reviews Film (8/10): “Above ground, we see Carolina’s anguish as she awaits news, culminating in one final romantic gesture that’s notable for the weird way it is shot. It’s a clear grab for the audience’s emotions, proving once and for all where this film’s true intentions lay. It’s as if Greg Barker’s saying “if you want to work your brain, watch my 2009 documentary. This one’s for your heart.””
3. Ready Steady Cut / Jonathon Wilson: “…works best as a story of the heart rather than the head, it’s most suited to being taken as one half of a more complete picture; together with the documentary version, it helps to paint a rounded picture of a life lived enthusiastically and cut tragically short”

Not Recommended (or undecided)

1. Darren / The M0vie Blog: “…is a disaster, a film that feels almost like a betrayal of its subject.”
2. Finn Scholte / The Illuminerdi: “The leads delivered good performances, but they sadly weren’t enough to save the mediocre script and the overall feeling that you are currently watching a feature film that wants to be a documentary instead of a biopic about an extraordinary diplomat.”
3. Flyinghightech: “…its bigger story about Sergio’s humanitarian efforts succumbs to its love story. What should be a story about one man’s extraordinary love of humanity turns into a story about his ordinary love of one woman.”
4. HCMovieReviews / Conor Crooks: “…is well intentioned in its desire to tell the exceptional story of Sergio Vieira de Mello. Its themes of peace, love and the casualties of war are effective given the film’s narrative issues.”
5. Isaac Feldberg / Fortune: “There’s a fascinating real-life figure at the center of Netflix’s Sergio, a well-intentioned but lumpily structured biopic”
6. KeithLovesMovies / Keith Noakes (58%): “Sergio has some star power behind it and may be well-intentioned but in the end is surprisingly dull and an overlong hot mess that not even Wagner Moura or Ana De Armas can save.”
7. Lisa Marie Bowman / Through The Shattered Lens: “…is more like a Jay Roach film without the attempts at humor.  It’s a blandly liberal biopic that is conventionally structured and a bit too convinced that the audience is going to automatically agree with its points.”
8. samhowe98 / Howe’s World of Film and TV (2.5/5): “With the subject matter and talent involved, this should’ve been a much better film.”

Linked above and wondering what would be the cool thing to do next? Commenting once in awhile is always good (I like reader and other blogger interaction). If you have the trackback/pingback come to your site then just approve it because after people read your review then they can come here and follow links and read someone else’s review. What comes around goes around and sharing is the ultimate “thank you!” on the internet.

Did I miss your review? Use the comments to tell me about your movie-related/review blog and I’ll follow. I like following movie-related blogs and pull quoting from my reading list as well as other new blogs shared, liked and discovered.

Happy movie watching!

Is Eddie Sick? Don’t Want to “Hear About It Later” Van Halen Deserves An “Unchained” Music Movie “Right Now”

Since 2018, there has been a resurgence of music movies: Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen), Elton John in Rocketman, Judy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Garland), Yesterday ⭐️⭐️½  (celebrating the iconic music of The Beatles), Blinded By The Light ⭐️½  (fictional story inspired by music of Bruce Springsteen), and more…

Van Halen LIVE 6/12/81 Oakland Coliseum starts with “Hear About It Later”

For quite some time there has been speculation that legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen’s health has not been well. He had part of his tongue removed while battling cancer 20 years ago and it seemed like he had the disease in remission.

The band reunited with singer David Lee Roth and used Eddie’s son Wolfgang on bass instead of Michael Anthony and did an arena tour, then released a new album “A Different Kind of Truth” and then another tour and since then … nothing.

Our sources say … Eddie has flown to Germany for 5 years to get radiation treatment, and for the most part it’s worked to keep the disease in check.

Eddie Van Halen Traveling to Germany for Throat Cancer Treatment

David Lee Roth recently had made it sound like Van Halen as we know it is done, and instead working on a Las Vegas residency with his own band. Meanwhile, what’s happening with Eddie? Nobody is talking.

And out comes this news from gossip mongering site TMZ that their “sources” indicate that Eddie Van Halen’s throat cancer has returned and/or never completely went out of remission. Eddie is rumored to be taking plane trips out of the country to get radiation treatments over the past five years.

And then there is video of what appears like medical equipment in the background of a Facebook post leading to even more rumor and speculation. Meanwhile, the Van Halen camp has release no official news. They have always been quiet and only speak to the media when they want to say something.

This is the kind of drama that is either incredibly personally invasive to speak about or, when you’re a band as big as Van Halen, fodder for a movie.

Even without Eddie’s cancer, the Van Halen rock and roll story deserves to be told in a moderate budget film. Why do they have to end the band like Motley Crue did before we can get some kind of music biopic about them?

Here we talk movies, not the rock band rumor mill, BUT the reason this is here is to cover a band that would/will someday make a great movie. Van Halen has all the drama of a script along the lines of Motley Crue, The Dirt that came out on Netflix this year.

Obviously, I hope the rumors are false and/or greatly exaggerated. I grew up with Van Halen and it saddens me to think anybody dying of cancer, including guitar god Eddie. Too many great musicians and bands that were popular during my lifetime are either on their last tour (literally), already gone, or close to hanging it up due to old age and/or health.

Someday we’re going to get a Van Halen movie.

I rewatched on Amazon Prime Video, Van Halen: The Early Years ⭐️⭐️⭐️½  – It’s a good start for those who want to learn more about the history of the band. No idea what is going on for certain right now, but hopefully Eddie is OK and the boys will be rocking again soon.

PREVIEW – JUDY

Who doesn’t love the magical “Over The Rainbow” by the immortal Judy Garland. Her voice is as magical as the first time I saw her singing in The Wizard Of Oz, a movie as timeless as the song.

Can you believe that was first released in 1939?!?! That is 80 years ago and it’s still my favorite ever musical and easily in my top 10 films of all time. It’s just one of the greatest films ever made, period. And I’m not a fan of musicals.

The whole black and white Kansas and then switches to color in Oz… just such an awe-inspiring film. I need to rewatch this again soon so I can be a child all over again. It’s that powerful. Without Judy Garland in that film, it’s not the same and, sadly, her treatment during the filming appeared to be something out of a horror film (or not).

So, what do we know and don’t know about JUDY the film:

• Renee Zellweger, age 50, spent two hours in the makeup chair transforming into Judy Garland
• Zellweger has been singing in movies for over 20 years and, yes, she is taking on the daunting task of covering Judy Garland on such seminal tracks as “Over The Rainbow”
• Rupert Goold directs. He is best known for extensive directing the stage.
• Film is based on Peter Quilter’s musical “End Of The Rainbow” which primarily covers the one year before Garland’s death at age 47 (!!!!) in 1969 where she played a series of sold-out shows.
• Zellweger tried to reach out to Liza Minnelli, Garland’s daughter, for research in the role via a mutual friend, but was unsuccessful
• Liza Minnelli has released a statement on her Facebook that says she “does not sanction” this film about her mother.
• Zellweger spent two years with Judy in her head, listening to music, preparing for this role and it brought her repeatedly to tears

And just for a cool article aside, the believed to be last living actor — and she was merely an extra — that was in The Wizard of Oz, 98 year old Meredythe Glass, opines what it was really like hearing the amazing Judy Garland sing:

Meredythe Glass was just another green lady from Oz. As she quietly chatted and laughed with her fellow Oz residents, their faces smeared with greasepaint to stand out under the harsh studio lights, this “beautiful music” began. Judy Garland started singing “Over the Rainbow,” and the Oz residents fell silent. Everyone fell silent. And when it was over, the applause was deafening. “It would not stop,” said Glass.

Judy Garland died at age 47, and would be 97 years old if she were still alive today, just about the age of Meredythe Glass. Imagine what more music, movies and magic we could have had if she had lived?

We’ll have to settle for dreaming what lies over the rainbow … and arrives in theaters everywhere September 27.