Review of Trumbo (2007) by Anthony F — 15 Apr 2016
Old Hollywood comes to life in a big way in this true story of a blacklisted screenwriter who did some time (11 months) for his "crimes" in the early 1950's. A wonderful performance by Bryan Cranston keeps this film afloat despite some glaring flaws, (particularly how just about every actor looks absolutely nothing like their real life counterparts).
The great Diane Lane however is the one exception to this, playing Dalton Trumbo's ever faithful wife Cleo, matching Cranston's charisma with her usual grace notes. The plodding story, that seemingly takes forever to get anywhere, finally picks up some steam around the halfway point.
It's here where we begin to follow Trumbo as he writes screenplays for some of Hollywood's most beloved classics (Roman Holiday, Spartacus, etc.) under clever pseudonyms so that he can provide for his family.
His irresistible charisma, along with witty outlooks on life, keep him from cracking amidst all the turmoil. If your a fan of classic Hollywood and especially of Bryan Cranston, you won't want to miss this.
For others, this is a hard to praise.
This review of Trumbo (2007) was written by Anthony F on 15 Apr 2016.
Trumbo has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
