Trumbo (2015)

During the infamous House Un-American Committee hearings in the late 1940s and early 1950s, screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) is subpoenaed, imprisoned and blacklisted in the film industry. One of the most evil and unjust periods of American history and one of its most fascinating. Okay, let's cut to the chase ... this movie stinks! For a film based on a true story, almost everything about it comes across as phony especially Cranston's performance which is all mannerisms and tics and nothing resembling an actual human being. It's the kind of liberal movie that gives liberal movies a bad name. If Michael Moore made narrative films instead of docs, this is the kind of bad movie he'd make. I couldn't help but feel sorry for all the poor actors floundering with even Helen Mirren (as gossip maven Hedda Hopper) possibly giving the worst performance of her career and yes, I've seen CALIGULA. There are a couple of good moments though: Adewale Akinnuoye Agbaje as a black inmate suddenly makes the movie come alive, the potent moment when Trumbo sees his writer's credit on the screen in SPARTACUS and the score by Theodore Shapiro is first rate. Directed by Jay Roach (AUSTIN POWERS). With Diane Lane, John Goodman, Louis C.K., Elle Fanning, Michael Stuhlbarg as Edward G. Robinson, Dean O'Gorman as Kirk Douglas and David James Elliott as John Wayne.