Trumbo is a film based on the real life of Dalton Trumbo who was a screenwriter back in the golden age of Hollywood films. Trumbo was one of the best screenwriters out there. But he had one big problem, his political views, which got him blacklisted, stopping him from doing the work that he loved and forcing him to write anonymously.
It’s an interesting film which comes directed by Jay Roach who is known for films such as Goldmember (2002) or Meet The Parents (2000). This film is a bit more serious than his many previous comedies and he does well to tell the story of Dalton Trumbo to the audience. It’s a compelling film and one that I did enjoy watching, things don’t really get boring and for those who don’t know much about the period and the interference by the American government in Hollywood against those who worked there that were thought to be communists, it’ll give you something to think about.
Quite a few of the characters have a lot of depth to them which helps to keep the storyline interesting. Trumbo is the main focal point of the film and we see him go through the tragedy of being blacklisted and then watch him try to get the blacklist removed so he can work again. His family and the supporting characters do have some good moments and the film unlike many out there doesn’t suffer from silly supporting characters that don’t add much at all, everything here is well balanced and well told.
Actors were all great and it was fun to see a bunch of modern actors pretending to be people from the golden age era of film. Bryan Cranston who plays Dalton Trumbo seemed to me to be the perfect choice for the role and absolutely nails his performance. Elle Fanning who plays Trumbo’s daughter is another who stood out to me. The rest were all good as well, but it was Bryan and Elle who were the better of the bunch.
For a film set in the golden era, the costumes were well chosen and characters were all well dressed. When looking at the sets, the outfits and the whole appearance of things, everything was bright and colourful. The tone while serious most of the time, does have its funny moments which help lighten things up from time to time.
Overall Trumbo is a joy to watch and provides an interesting look at what went on in the life of one of the most famously blacklisted writers of all time. Actors were all great with Bryan Cranston and Elle Fanning being the standouts. Characters in the film are all a bunch of fun with many famous actors appearing all throughout Trumbo, ranging from Kirk Douglas to John Wayne plus many more. If you love these period films and are interested in the story about Trumbo and his blacklist situation or are just a fan of Bryan Cranston, you’ll quite likely enjoy this one, it’s not disappointing at all.
