Allan C
During the Joseph McCarthy Communist Witch Hunts, the senator set his sights on Hollywood, rooting out communist sympathizers, requiring anyone with past communist ties to “name names” or get blacklisted. TRUMBO tells the story of famed Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (the writer of A GUY NAMED JOE, THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO, ROMAN HOLIDAY, SPARTACUS) who took the principled stand of freedom of speech and the right to dissent by refusing to cooperate with the McCarthy hearings and consequently found himself blacklisted. For anyone familiar with Trumbo’s story, there’s no surprise in the arc of the film, but what was interesting and new was the impact of the blacklist on his family, finding themselves forced to sell their home, ostracized by their neighbors, and yet all the while being unfailingly loyal to Trumbo’s stance. Bryan Cranston is commanding as Trumbo, delivering what seems impossibly clever dialogue, but also seems plausible given he’s an East Coast intellectual whose job was to write impossibly smart dialogue. I already knew that Trumbo and other blacklisted writers continued to work in Hollywood while on the blacklist, using non-blacklisted writers to front for them and share the profits, as well as writing for low-budget disreputable studies who knew their viewers didn’t care about the blacklist, but it was fascinating to see the machinations of how they sold the scripts in this environment. I also learned from this movie that Trumbo wrote under a pseudonym the classic low-budget film noir, GUN CRAZY. Diane Lane is fine in an understated role as Trumbo’s supportive wife, though it’s Elle Fanning as Trumbo’s headstrong daughter who stands out among the many fine supporting actors, who include Alan Tudyk, John Goodman, Louis C.K., Stephen Root, Richard Portnow, and Helen Mirren as Hedda Hopper. While I greatly enjoyed TRUMBO, I don’t know if it’s a movie for everyone, as I’m pretty sure my love of film history biased me toward enjoying this film. I do think the film has crossover film appear for non-film-nerd audiences who are interested in stories of dissent, principled stands, and the importance of democracy and freedom of speech, but overall it’s the performances by Cranston, Lane, Fanning, and the rest of the supporting cast who carry the day.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
07/21/24
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Dinos K
Great movie. I never understand why USA hate us
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
07/01/24
Full Review
Alec C
This screenwriter not only wrote some iconic scripts, but he manages to speak up for those who have been blacklisted! For supporting the Communist party, Dalton Trumbo and many other names in Hollywood are placed on the blacklist and arrested, forcing him to find other revenues while still opposing the unjust persecution. In a time when paranoia is high, this true-life story of a man's quest for due credit is as impressive as Trumbo's other works!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
03/16/24
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Jeff
Phenomenal. Great energy, great environments, great characters. Great scenes.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/19/24
Full Review
Alec B
Cranston is as entertaining as ever but I think the plot's a little too simplistic, especially when it deals with the creation of a blacklist.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
12/14/23
Full Review
isla s
This is an interesting film, ultimately about politics - the politics of the time, showing the repercussions of it being known someones political persuasion (being a communist). The film features text at the start explaining the background to things, how communists were viewed by the US in general at the time the film is set in and so on.
I hadn't been aware of the character of Trumbo beforehand but through Bryan Cranston's performance, I got a feel for his determination to move on after having been treated badly for his beliefs and the affect this had on his family and work. I can't say its in any way a fast paced or action based film but as a drama, its certainly intriguing and I thought both Dalton (Trumbo) and his daughter,Niki, played by Elle Fanning/Madison Wolfe (as the younger Niki), gave particularly noteable/respectable performances. Also present is John Goodman as a less than admirable studio official and Helen Mirren as Hedda Hopper, an actress and columnist.
I thought it was an interesting story and I quite enjoyed it, so I'd recommend this to others.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
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