Cert 15
124 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language
I really wanted to love Trumbo. Its cast and its subject matter prompted me to believe that it might even challenge Spotlight as my favourite movie of the year.
But while it is very good and Bryan Cranston thoroughly deserves his best actor Oscar nomination, it does not grip as tightly as the films which have kept it out of the race for best picture.
In my opinion, there is a simple reason for this - its subject, screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, didn't suffer enough as a result of being banned by film studios.
Cranston plays Trumbo who says he is a communist but his lifestyle, apart from his very eloquent and loud political protests, is that of a rich man.
And that highlights the problem of Trumbo. Thousands lost jobs, homes and even their lives because of the 1950s, anti-communist blacklist, inspired by Congress, but Trumbo was not one of them.
Unlike many others, he had the power to fight discrimination.
Jay Roach's movie is beautifully written by John McNamara and Cranston uses the latter's pin-sharp words to devastating effect.
As well as enemies in Congress, Trumbo was also up against a hugely influential gossip columnist (the superb Helen Mirren) and the right-wing Motion Picture Alliance For The Preservation of American Ideals, led by John Wayne (David James Elliott).
Wayne is one of many movie legends portrayed in Trumbo. Michael Stuhlbarg plays Edward G. Robinson, and Dean O'Gorman is Kirk Douglas, for example.
But this is really a movie about writers who were demonised because of their alleged communist leanings.
They insisted that individual political persuasions should remain private. It was a hugely important point of principle and we should be grateful for their stand.
Trumbo looks good and seamlessly merges footage from the time into the main body of a film which I suspect will be a favourite of pseuds such as me but will not grab big box office bucks.
Reasons to watch: the superb performance of Bryan Cranston
Reasons to avoid: not quite as dramatic as expected
Laughs: two
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: yes
Overall rating: 8/10
John McNamara On my way to Golden Globes. Realized I missed a spot shaving.