Trumbo

Bleecker Street Media | Release Date: November 6, 2015

7.2	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 160 Ratings

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beingryanjudeJan 23, 2016

TRUMBO features the likes of many of cinema’s great screenwriters and filmmakers of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Bryan Cranston portrays just one of these screenwriters - who is ultimately blacklisted for involvement with the Communist Party.TRUMBO features the likes of many of cinema’s great screenwriters and filmmakers of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Bryan Cranston portrays just one of these screenwriters - who is ultimately blacklisted for involvement with the Communist Party. While Cranston’s performance is impressive, the film glosses over any meaningful or deep looks into Trumbo’s Communism. TRUMBO mostly fails to create the depth and fervor present in many of the classic films depicted.… Expand

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AliceofXFeb 9, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. At the beginning of the film Trumbo's daughter Nikola asks her father what is communism. He says what if you had a sandwich and saw a boy who was hungry? When she answers that she would share her sandwich her father says that is communism. But it's not. Real communism would be the teacher coming in, eating the sandwich so now they're both hungry. It is a monstrous ideology that made 20th the bloodiest century in history, so to turn its opponents into crazed witch hunters is repulsive to me.

But even leaving personal biases aside Trumbo is still not a good film. It's one of those Performance Films, that gets all kinds of nominations for the main actor, but the story is just meh.

For a time I had some hope for this movie. In the middle we see Trumbo becoming the family tyrant. He's demanding and bullies those who oppose him and I thought that it was very clever. Trumbo becoming just like the people who persecuted him would show just how such attitudes are born. It would be introspective. But then it just moves along and after that I lost my faith in this movie.

The movie is inconsistent and suffers for it. Plus it's just all too speechy. Pretty much every thing Trumbo says is some kind of speech and he just never talks like a human being. The film makers really wanted you to get The Message. And sure, the nominations for Bryan Cranston are well deserved, but other than that there is no point in seeing this film.… Expand

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CaptRedBeardJan 7, 2016

Post-WW2 Hollywood; American Capitalist ideals strongly oppose that of the American Communist Party. Top Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (here portrayed by Bryan Cranston), an outspoken member of said party, struggles to maintain hisPost-WW2 Hollywood; American Capitalist ideals strongly oppose that of the American Communist Party. Top Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (here portrayed by Bryan Cranston), an outspoken member of said party, struggles to maintain his career, his family life, and even the safety of his own identity in this turbulent tale of sordid scrutiny and political upheaval, thinly veiled by Hollywood's 'Golden Age'.

With a resume that includes such comedies as "Meet the Parents" [2000] and the "Austin Powers" series, this is not necessarily a story you'd expect director Jay Roach to tackle. Based on the biography by Bruce Cook, John McNamara's script doesn't necessarily focus on Trumbo's life, rather the effect that his blacklisting, incarceration and professional struggles have on his family and friends. On paper, these are the ingredients for a meaty, challenging narrative that speaks across generations, but at times it seems as if Roach is so distracted by the fact he's shooting a period piece that the audience is reliant on strong central performances to carry them through what feels like a somewhat exhaustive two-hour runtime. With sideline impersonations of silver screen democrats such as John Wayne (David James Elliott) and Edward G. Robinson (Michael Stuhlbarg), that are at times questionable, one must ask,"'is this director trying to break out of his mould?" "Trumbo" certainly helps to answer this question but it does not provide a clean break. For much of its length, it's played too straight to be a comedy, but at the same time not necessarily moving or impacting enough as it should be, especially given the focus it has on Dalton Trumbo as a man and as a character. Audiences who do not view this film in a cinema may be fighting temptation to start playing with their iPhones as the film plods along with no clear dramatic arc. Still, with terrific performances from Cranston (who does well to break away from his 'Heisenberg' persona), Diane Lane as his worrisome wife, and Helen Mirren as antagonistic Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper, the film has all the ingredients of an Academy Award contender, but falls short in its contemporary societal impact and relevance. Consequently, this film will most likely be enjoyed by fans of Cranston's work, and film-going audiences who already have some knowledge of the people, places, and events depicted. As far as performances are concerned, special mention should also given to Louis C.K. in a dramatic turn with the "big drama dogs"; a skilful move as Oscar time nears.Some wonderfully reserved and rough-edged performances, a fascinating story (to the right audience), and some tastefully wicked humour to boot, "Trumbo" is compelling enough, though a little overstated and slightly underwhelming. Narratively, it is engaging, but not particularly focussed, as Cranston's protagonist seems the only common thread at times.… Expand

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jrodfilmsNov 27, 2015

there is a scene here where the character of kirk douglas says 'somewhere in here there is a good story.' that sums it up with this film. louis ck is useless and by the end all i wanted to do was watch the old films Trumbo wrote.

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MattBrady99Feb 28, 2016

Trumbo is funny, charming, classy and has a heart, but it dose suffer from a lot of flaws that weights it down a little. Bryan Cranston is freaking excellent in this movie and so is everyone else. But this movie dose feel like a TV movie atTrumbo is funny, charming, classy and has a heart, but it dose suffer from a lot of flaws that weights it down a little. Bryan Cranston is freaking excellent in this movie and so is everyone else. But this movie dose feel like a TV movie at times and it's way too corny for it's own good. But still, it's watchable.… Expand

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YorkManJan 9, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There's a certain irony in a biopic movie about one of the most celebrated screenwriters in Hollywood history where the screenplay is by far its biggest weakness.

Bryan Cranston plays Donald Trumbo a man who, in the 1930's, joined the American Communist party in the wake of the Great Depression in an attempt to show solidarity with millions of Americans in need.
This decision comes back to haunt him in the late 1940's when, as a consequence of the rise of the so called 'Communist Threat, along with a government who wants/needs to find a new enemy for the military to fight, decides that an all out investigation into the activities of Communism in America is required.

This leads to the formation of "The House Un-American Activities Committee" whose sole mandate is to find links between anyone employed in positions of 'influence' in American society. Teachers, government officials, civil servants and, in Trumbo's case, anyone attached to the film-making industry in Hollywood.

What follows is a study into the man himself, his desire to defend his principles and most importantly highlight the hypocrisy of a committee whose actions are as Un-American (they are essentially foregoing Trumbo's, and everyone else's, rights under the First Amendment of The Constitution) as those they believe they are trying to protect the public from.

The film concentrates on Trumbo's life as he negotiates the ups, and then subsequent downs, through the 1950s, as he and many of his friends are imprisoned and then blacklisted. Not being able to work legitimately they are forced to ghost-write for a fraction of their usual fees and 'points', leading to financial hardship and creates major cracks at home for Trumbo.

Eventually the more progressive names in Hollywood stand up and say they'll not deprive a man of his right to be recognised for his writing, going up against the likes of John Wayne, Ronald Reagan and Hedda Hopper, all of whom see the outing of 'Commies' as the American way.

Trumbo eventually gets the recognition he deserves, and The Blacklist effectively comes to an end.

The cast of the film are all universally excellent. There isn't a bad performance in the movie at all, it's like the actors understood the importance of the film not only in a historical context, but also as an indictment of Hollywood itself.
The direction is adequate, neither flashy nor boring... There are enough little flourishes to keep you visually entertained.

However, as mentioned at the beginning there is a big problem with the screenplay. It doesn't allow the viewer the opportunity to get an impression of the other side of the argument.
People who are for the Blacklisting are just portrayed as being wrong, which doesn't explain their attitudes and makes you wonder more about why certain actors were happy to spout vitriol at these tribunals. Especially someone like Ronald Reagan who subsequently became a 2-term US President!

Overall, the rating given reflects the incredible cast and their acting, more than as a reflection of the one-sided screenplay.
It's worth watching, if you know nothing about the events of the time. However, you'd be better served looking up some documentaries about Trumbo and/or The House Un-American Activities Committee.… Expand

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amheretojudgeOct 16, 2018

drunk in its sober and dry mannerism..

Trumbo Roach's biographical drama is drunk in its sober and dry mannerism that never appreciates its own mythology. The set of characters that the plot and concept fiddles with, is immenselydrunk in its sober and dry mannerism..

Trumbo

Roach's biographical drama is drunk in its sober and dry mannerism that never appreciates its own mythology. The set of characters that the plot and concept fiddles with, is immensely electrifying especially in its latter stages but Roach seems distracted in here and his eye is on a blurred out vision of accuracy. And this is what's disappointing since the accuracy isn't cinematic or glorifying enough to chisel out the final anticipated product. The narration is undoubtedly gripping and adaptive but it isn't as layered as they might think. But all these issues are piled upon the sensational performance that Cranston oozes in each frame. His raging, complex and logical expressive nature might be subtle on Layman's terms but is actually a melody to encounter it.

The major issue holding it back, would be the continuity. Each event or episode may or may not attain its closure in its allotted span, but it surely changes up the tone that makes it shatter into bits and pieces where the responsible person is the director in charge who fails to blend the entire tale into one big act. The supporting characters are well crafted in here i.e. from Lane to Fanning or Louis C.K. to Mirren, each of them gets their stand alone moments with three dimensional perspective and aptly cooked vision for them. The dialogues are layered and the conversations are pragmatic that can stay with you for a longer time and with a delivery like Cranston's it definitely elevates the momentum. And it's every man for himself at the end, that drags this somewhat sloppy script to as his character does to the script, "make it better". Trumbo is a triumph on terms of performance but Cranston was not the only one that was on the stand, the rest of the work might be contempt for being guilty.… Expand

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