Trumbo (2015)

"When they tried to silence him, he made the world listen."

Directed by Jay Roach
Produced by Michael London, Janice Williams, Shivani Rawat, Monica Levinson, Nimitt Mankad, John McNamara, Kevin Kelly Brown
Written by John McNamara
Based on "Dalton Trumbo" by Bruce Cook
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Louis C.K., Elle Fanning, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg
Music by Theodore Shapiro
Cinematography: Jim Denault
Edited by Alan Baumgarten
Production company: ShivHans Pictures, Everyman Pictures, Groundswell Productions
Distributed by Bleecker Street
Release date: 6 November 2015 (United States)

Running time: 124 minutes
Country: United States
Budget: $15 million
Box office: $8.1 million

"Trumbo" is a biographical drama film directed by Jay Roach and written by John McNamara. The film follows the life of Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo who was Hollywood's top screenwriter, until he and other artists were jailed and blacklisted for their political beliefs.

Cast

• Bryan Cranston as Dalton Trumbo
• Diane Lane as Cleo Fincher Trumbo
• Helen Mirren as Hedda Hopper
• Louis C.K. as Arlen Hird
• Elle Fanning as Nikola Trumbo
• John Goodman as Frank King
• Michael Stuhlbarg as Edward G. Robinson
• Alan Tudyk as Ian McLellan Hunter
• Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Virgil Brooks
• Dean O'Gorman as Kirk Douglas
• Stephen Root as Hymie King
• Roger Bart as Buddy Ross
• David James Elliott as John Wayne
• Peter Mackenzie as Robert Kenny
• John Getz as Sam Wood
• Christian Berkel as Otto Preminger
• Billy Slaughter as D.C. Reporter
• Richard Portnow as Louis B. Mayer
• Sean Bridgers as Jeff Krandall
• James DuMont as J. Parnell Thomas

The story of one of the most well-known figure in cinematography especially during the witch-hunt Hollywood blacklist. Dalton Trumbo, perfectly performed by Bryan Cranston, was a great screenwriter but also a Communist Party member that overshadowed his career and even life. However, he was a man of principle that was why he couldn't act otherwise. But he continued to write his masterpieces and even won Oscars - just under borrowed names.

The film may seem a little bit slow moving or even boring (a bit) - and yes, I can agree with that. However, it doesn't mean that "Trumbo" isn't worth seeing, at least because of the talented cast including big, small and still rising stars. At the minimum I'm talking about Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Louis C.K., Elle Fanning, John Goodman and Michael Stuhlbarg.

Advantages

• Bryan Cranston as Dalton Trumbo
• Elle Fanning as Nikola Trumbo
• Michael Stuhlbarg as Edward G. Robinson

Disadvantages

• A little bit slow moving

"Strangenesses"

• Hollywood blacklist

Clue Moments

• The Communist Party of the USA
• HUAC
• The Portrait of Père Tanguy
• The death of Justice Wiley Rutledge
• Texarkana prison
• The Hollywood Blacklist
• The Academy Award for Best Story

Famed author and screenwriter Dalton Trumbo was born on December 9, 1905, in Montrose, Colorado. After embarking on a successful career with Warner Bros., in 1947 Trumbo joined nine colleagues in refusing to testify before Congress regarding their Communist ties. The so-called "Hollywood Ten" were blacklisted from that time until the early 1960s. Trumbo died of a heart attack on September 10, 1976, in Los Angeles, California.  

More here.

Soudntracks

1. Theodore Shapiro - Eighty Words A Minute
2. Theodore Shapiro - Curriculum Vitae
3. Theodore Shapiro - Prologue
4. Theodore Shapiro - Contempt Of Congress
5. Theodore Shapiro - Trumbo Goes To Prison
6. Theodore Shapiro - Ping Pong
7. Theodore Shapiro - Family Business
8. Theodore Shapiro - Hedda Threatens Mayer
9. Theodore Shapiro - Buddy's Dilemma
10. Theodore Shapiro - A Letter From Prison
11. Theodore Shapiro - Eddie Names Names
12. Theodore Shapiro - A Script For The Kings
13. Theodore Shapiro - Family Reunion
14. Theodore Shapiro - Pool Of Garbage
15. Theodore Shapiro - Scripts Montage
16. Theodore Shapiro - The Mexican Script
17. Theodore Shapiro - Benzedrine
18. Theodore Shapiro - No Bullies
19. Theodore Shapiro - Who Is Robert Rich?
20. Theodore Shapiro - The Credit
21. Theodore Shapiro - So I Rage
22. Theodore Shapiro - Who Gets To Be Proud
23. Theodore Shapiro - The Blacklist Is Alive
24. Theodore Shapiro - It's Over
25. Theodore Shapiro - It's A Fine Picture
26. Theodore Shapiro - The Elephant In The Room

Quotations

* * *

Frank King: Are you f*cking with me? Because if you are, I WILL f*ck you.
Dalton Trumbo: I've heard that line before.
[beat]
Dalton Trumbo: It sounded better in prison.

* * *

Dalton Trumbo: Friends? What friends? Who the hell has the luxury of friends? I've got allies and enemies. There's no room for anything else.

* * *

Kirk Douglas: You go and ask the studio how they would like having to reshoot this movie without me because for better or for worse I AM SPARTACUS.

* * *

Frank King: So, you're saying that you want to give me a script and I'll pay you and you don't want your name on it?
Dalton Trumbo: No, you don't want my name on it.
Frank King: Okay then.

* * *

Frank King: [shouting furiously] Wanna keep me from hiring union? I'll go downtown, hire a bunch of winos and hookers. It doesn't matter. I make garbage! You wanna call me a pinko in the papers? Do it! None of the people that go to my fucking movies can read!

* * *

Dalton Trumbo: [V.O] What the imagination can't conjure, reality delivers with a shrug.

* * *

Dalton Trumbo: [Presenting his new script to the producers] Oh, one problem though.
Hymie King: Expensive?
Dalton Trumbo: Worse. It's good.

* * *

Dalton Trumbo: [challenging John Wayne] If you're gonna talk about World War II as if you personally won it, let's be clear where you were stationed - on a film set, shooting blanks, wearing makeup, and if you're going to hit me, I'd like to take off my glasses.

* * *

Frank King: I make crap films. You are way too good and too expensive to write for me.

* * *

Niki Trumbo: We're having birthday cake.
Dalton Trumbo: When you hear me working, you don't knock.
Niki Trumbo: But it's my birthday.
Dalton Trumbo: You don't knock. Ever.
Niki Trumbo: So the house is on fire, you don't wanna know?
Dalton Trumbo: I work in a bathtub, surrounded by water. So I'm fairly certain that even if the whole goddamn country was on fire, that I can still function as this family's personal slave. And all I ask is not to be interrupted for every little slice of f*cking birthday cake. What? It's ridiculous!

* * *

You may see the trailer here.

Plot: 9/10

Entertainment: 8/10

Acting: 8/10

Originality: 9/10

Music and Sound: 8/10

8/10