This November at the Toronto Film Festival, the new film Trumbo stole the spotlight with its fluid story and amazing cast. Now, the movie is slowly being released in theatres around the country amazing audiences everywhere.
The movie stars Bryan Cranston as Dalton Trumbo, a screenwriter who dominated Hollywood in the 1930’s and the early 40’s. The film follows Trumbo as he uses his charm, pride, and most importantly his unique writing to become the biggest screenwriter in Hollywood. Eventually he ends up in legal trouble for his affiliations with the Communist Party; he gets blacklisted from Hollywood, meaning his scripts were banned. It is a story of a man tied between his art and his convictions.
The incredibly interesting biography of Dalton Trumbo’s life lends itself to making this movie an amazingly intense and heart wrenching journey, but it is the actors that truly make this film a masterpiece. Bryan Cranston perfectly captures the egotistical, arrogant, snarky, yet somehow incredibly lovable genius that is Dalton Trumbo. Cranston perfectly conveys the character of Trumbo whether it’s a scene where he snickers to himself with a cigar in his mouth as he writes or if it’s one of the scenes where he is breaking down due to a combination of alcohol and being blacklisted.
Cranston’s supporting roles are just as amazing as the lead. Diane Lane portrays Trumbo’s loving wife, who stood by him throughout all of his fights. Helen Mirren perfectly and, at times, hilariously portrays a fast talking famous gossip reporter. John Goodman proves that his deep voice can still pull off drama through his performance as a competent producer. Even Louis C.K, who rarely is seen in drama, delivers a wonderfully real and emotional performance.
Another aspect that makes this movie so incredible is its sense of setting. Every single detail is perfectly coordinated to make the audience feel like they are truly connected to Trumbo and this different time period he lived through. The characters use appropriate euphemisms for the time period and even the way they articulate their speech makes these actors seem like they truly lived through these periods. The wardrobe of each of the characters, from Trumbo himself to his wife to the judges he battles with, all match the time period as well. All of this, combined with the masterful camerawork of the film, truly makes audiences feel at one with the time period.
If you are searching for an artistic masterpiece of a film in the coming months, try to find a theatre that is playing Trumbo, as it is a fantastic story told perfectly through our modern technology and production techniques. A movie about a screenwriter may not seem as initially exciting as most over the top blockbuster hits these days, but it is actually difficult not to become emotionally invested in the magical story of Dalton Trumbo.
