Review of Trumbo (2015) by Foxgrove — 06 Nov 2015

Due to its unfamiliar subject matter this expertly crafted biographical drama about blacklisted screen writer Dalton Trumbo will, sadly, find itself relegated to the art house niche market. This is the sort of film that wouldn’t be out of place as a prestige awards contender in the 1940’s given its expert design and subject matter.

The brilliant Bryan Cranston is well deserving of this shot at a leading cinema role. Following on from his undisputed acclaim in TV’S ‘Breaking Bad’, he gives a credible account of what Trumbo, or at least his essence, could have been like for the many who wouldn’t have a clue who he was. Helen Mirren pops up as gossip columnist Hedda Hopper ably demonstrating the fun she is having with the role. Her Hopper comes over as instrumental in Trumbo’s downfall and Mirren plays her as evil personified. It’s also fun to see actors taking on the roles of famous faces of the day. Edward G Robinson; John Wayne; Otto Preminger and Kirk Douglas, who is particularly well played by Dean O’Gorman, all pop up from time to time to mixed results but are not easily recognisable until someone in the cast actually states who they are.

The film strikes many emotional notes when it hits its stride encompassing both laughter and tears and, unusually, for a two hour movie of this type it doesn’t outstay its welcome.