'Being the Ricardos' review: Aaron Sorkin charts out one of the biggest Hollywood controversies ever

Being the Ricardos definitely deserves a mention as one of the best productions by director Aaron Sorkin. Set in 1950s Hollywood, Being the Ricardos gives viewers a close-up of the making of the immensely popular slapstick comedy I Love Lucy, and explores a number of obstacles that the on-screen Ricardo couple faced over the span of a week that turned their lives upside down.

Being the Ricardos is now available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.

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Detailed plot of Being the Ricardos

Being the Ricardos spans over a whirlwind week in production of one of I Love Lucy's episodes where the Ricardo couple, who are married in real life, and the showrunners deal with a number of obstacles pitched their way.

The movie also gives a look into the couple's personal lives and their passionate romance, which led to them eloping and getting married soon after they met.

As political winds shifted between the 1930s and ’50s, Lucille Ball, the star of the CBS sitcom I Love Lucy, was tagged as having communist affiliations by gossip columnist Walter Winchell.

This was in the aftermath of a questioning session by the House Un-American Activities Committee that cleared Lucille's name. However, Winchell stirs up some old news and makes the declaration that threatens to bring down Lucille's blossoming career.

To make matters worse, Lucille is pregnant. In the '50s, television show runners were opposed to featuring any scene that may be indicative of intimate acts, and a pregnant woman was in the purview of this.

So what lies ahead for Lucille and Desi, the stars of I Love Lucy? In light of the two events, the television show faces the threat of being canceled, putting an end to the couple's flourishing careers.

Amidst this, the couple's relationship threatens to fall apart when Lucille catches the headlines of the Confidential magazine that declares that her husband was cheating. Desperate to find out the truth, she heads down a dangerous path to find an answer.

The couple, played by Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, are at the soul of Being the Ricardos. The film also features the disgruntled executives of I Love Lucy, a committed team of top-shelf staff and writers for the show, as well as Lucille and Desi’s co-stars William Frawley and Vivian Vance.

Bardam and Kidman shine through it all, giving life to the characters Lucille and Desi as they bicker, banter, and quarrel with the taxing week ahead.

The movie is also a deep-dive into the characters and psyche of the couple. There is an episode to be shot and the intricate aspects of physical comedy need to be ironed out to perfection until Lucille is satisfied.

With Lucille facing allegations of being a communist and her pregnancy that need to be dealt with, she struggles to cope. On the face of it, her rocky marriage threatens to fall apart and she must do everything to prevent that from happening. With the clock ticking, Lucille slowly grows to be more erratic, which eventually affects the others in the show.

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Credit must be given where it is deserved

Being the Ricardos is a thoroughly entertaining and enthralling biopic about one of Hollywood's most famous couples, the readheaded American sweetheart Lucille Ball and her American-Cuban husband, the charismatic Desi Arnez. The two rose to fame as the on-screen couple 'the Ricardo's' in the CBS comedy series I Love Lucy.

Being the Ricardos is made in a documentary style but with actors in place of the real individuals. The movie is interspersed with interview snippets by the executive producer and the writers of the show, played of course by actors.

This gives more depth and perspective to the scandalous affairs that took place within that turbulent week.

Sorkin’s greatest artistic feat as a director here is getting inside Lucille's mind and portraying it with various beautiful black-and-white segments that display how she visualizes the workings of a particular scene or episode.

Credit must be given to the director for telling a story with such sensitivity and lucidity that it is equal parts entertaining and informing.

Overall, Being the Ricardos is an enjoyable watch, with the complexities of the narrative simplified and made lucid by the director. Don't miss the documentary-style biopic now playing in theaters and also available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.