Bombshell

On Dec. 9, Flavorwire film critic Jason Bailey astutely tweeted, “I’m watching BOMBSHELL and it’s kind of amazing... that this isn’t on HBO.”

Directed by Jay Roach — half of whose films over the past decade have been productions on The House The Sopranos Built, and whose Trumbo (2015) easily could have gone that route — the film ably dramatizes the downfall of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes (John Lithgow, in Gary Oldman’s fat suit from Darkest Hour).

Dragging his terrible behavior into the public lens are anchors Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) and Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), while other employees, including composite character Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie), figure out which side they’re on and the consequences of their decision.

The story-driven, visually safe, star-studded drama tells an important real-life tale, but without taking any risks that result in payoffs beyond the expected. Though screenwriter Charles Randolph spruces up Kelly’s newsroom introduction with some third-wall-breaking, a la his Oscar-winning The Big Short, it’s quickly abandoned for largely anonymous filmmaking that merely gets the job done.

Sufficiently engaging yet not necessarily memorable, Bombshell is most entertaining and successful as a steady stream of recognizable faces. Without consulting the cast list, friends could devise a guessing game of who will play Rupert Murdoch, Bill O’Reilly, and even Rudy Giuliani — all while wishing that the film overall had offered more than fleeting audience participation.

Grade: B-minus. Rated R. Now playing at Biltmore Grade, Carolina Cinemark, and Grail Moviehouse

(Photo: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle SMPSP)