--- title: "Being the Ricardos: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/being-the-ricardos/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/being-the-ricardos" critics_score: 57 critics_reviews: 26 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Being the Ricardos (2021): what the critics said Critics' score 57 from 26 reviews: 9 positive, 9 mixed, 8 negative. The consensus on Being the Ricardos is mixed, with praise clustering around the performances rather than Aaron Sorkin’s handling of the story. Most critics admire Nicole Kidman’s portrayal of Lucille Ball’s exacting professionalism, particularly when the film shows her working through a comic routine. Javier Bardem and the supporting cast also draw praise. Even several sceptical reviews find something engaging in the backstage pressures and the couple’s relationship. The spread is wide, and Sorkin’s writing is the main dividing point. Variety finds the compressed storytelling intoxicating and the marriage deftly drawn; The Guardian finds the dialogue self-important and the comedy exhausting. Reservations elsewhere centre on competing storylines, clumsy pacing and a shortage of warmth or humour. Kidman is not universally admired either: Collider considers her portrayal a weakness, while praising Bardem. The disagreement is less about the subjects’ potential than whether Sorkin allows them enough life beyond his dialogue. ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Rating Critics Pick. 7 December 2021. Gleiberman finds the film’s compressed, fast-paced Sorkinese style intoxicating and its portrait of a marriage deft and romantic. He especially praises Nicole Kidman’s performance, which captures both Lucille Ball’s comic precision and her off-camera glamour and sharpness. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/being-the-ricardos-review-nicole-kidman-javier-bardem-jk-simmons-aaron-sorkin-1235127922/) ## Empire — Olly Richards Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2021. Richards finds the film a compelling biopic and one of Aaron Sorkin’s best works. He praises its layered portrayal of Lucy and Desi’s relationship and the wider television industry. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/being-the-ricardos/) ## Little White Lies — Leila Latif Rating 3/4/3. 7 December 2021. Latif finds the film energetic but ultimately forced and anticlimactic. She especially praises Javier Bardem’s performance as Desi Arnaz, while criticizing Nicole Kidman’s prosthetic makeup. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/being-the-ricardos) ## Radio Times — Kevin Harley Rating 4/5. The review finds the film delightful, with Sorkin’s script supplying heart and humour. It particularly praises Nicole Kidman’s quick, sharp portrayal of Lucille Ball. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-prswxj/being-the-ricardos/) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2021. Brody finds the film an ambitious, often inspired portrait, though he says its resolution leaves questions unanswered. He especially praises its depiction of Lucille Ball’s imaginative creative process and physical-comedy genius. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/being-the-ricardos-reviewed-aaron-sorkin-honors-the-serious-business-of-lucille-balls-comedic-genius) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2021. Chang finds the film glibly entertaining but overly tidy and not always convincing in its portrayals. He especially praises Kidman’s assured performance and the scenes showing Ball’s sharp comic instincts at work. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-12-07/being-the-ricardos-review-nicole-kidman-lucille-ball-i-love-lucy) ## The i Paper — Francesca Steele Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2021. The critic finds the film smart and ultimately successful, despite its overstuffed script. Kidman’s portrayal stands out, with the prosthetics doing little to distract from her performance. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/being-the-ricardos-review-film-movie-nicole-kidman-javier-bardem-lucille-ball-aaron-sorkin-1344022) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 2021. The review finds the film clunky but engaging, with a tone far removed from the sitcom it depicts. It praises the performances and highlights revealing exchanges about the pressures surrounding the show. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/being-ricardos-clunky-engaging-look-behind-scenes-1950s-sitcom-i-love-lucy) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The review's verdict and specific praise or criticism are unavailable because the page would not load. No assessment can be reliably summarized from the supplied text. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/being-the-ricardos-movie-review-2021) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 8 December 2021. The page is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. Its specific praise or complaint is also unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/08/movies/being-the-ricardos-review.html) ## IndieWire — Kate Erbland Rating C. 7 December 2021. Erbland finds the film an awkward, joyless portrait weighed down by Sorkin’s worst habits. She praises Kidman’s brief flashes of Lucille Ball’s comic genius, especially in the grape-stomping recreation. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/being-the-ricardos-review-aaron-sorkin-nicole-kidman-1234681911/) ## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole Rating 2/4. 7 December 2021. The review argues that Sorkin’s formulaic, didactic approach undermines the film. It praises Nicole Kidman’s performance and the scenes showing Ball’s perfectionism at work on I Love Lucy. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/being-the-ricardos-review-aaron-sorkin-nicole-kidman/) ## Screen Daily — Stephen Whitty Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2021. The standfirst suggests Sorkin’s drama is less charming than its subject. The accessible text offers no further detail about what the critic praises or faults. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/being-the-ricardos-review/5165395.article) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2021. Rooney finds the film engrossing but overly shaped by Sorkin’s familiar habits, which leave it emotionally underpowered. He praises the performances, especially Kidman’s precise portrayal of Lucy Ball’s demanding professionalism and private sorrow. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/being-the-ricardos-nicole-kidman-javier-bardem-1235057429/) ## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2021. Hassenger finds the film frustratingly flattened by Sorkin’s familiar storytelling and ultimately centerless. He praises Kidman and Bardem’s charisma, but says the makeup and rigid script limit their performances. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/nicole-kidman-and-javier-bardem-can-t-act-around-the-so-1848163432) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2021. Bradshaw finds the film ingeniously structured but exhausting and mannered, making its comedy feel like hard work. He praises its vehement performances and its recognition that Ball’s strength was physical comedy, while faulting Sorkin’s self-important dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/dec/07/being-the-ricardos-review-nicole-kidman-makes-light-comedy-look-like-hard-work-in-lucille-ball-biopic) ## Vulture — Jason Bailey Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2021. Bailey finds the film lifeless and dramatically false, faulting its scattered storytelling and Sorkin’s direction. He praises Nina Arianda’s portrayal of Vivian Vance and the supporting cast, especially J.K. Simmons. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-aaron-sorkins-being-the-ricardos.html) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 8 January 2022. The review finds the film an engaging, character-focused account, though it notes some weak production values. It particularly praises Nicole Kidman’s capture of Lucille Ball’s forthright energy and fearlessness. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/being-the-ricardos-2021-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). The review finds the film cleverly written and ultimately admiring of Lucille Ball. It especially praises Nicole Kidman for capturing Ball’s essence, while noting an anachronistic reference to “gaslighting.” [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/being-the-ricardos-review-nicole-kidman-lucille-ball-3112964) ## Paste — Andy Crump Rating 3.9. 9 December 2021. Crump finds the film weighed down by Sorkin’s excessive contextualizing and uneven tone. He praises Nicole Kidman’s confident, sensitive portrayal of Ball, which cuts through the film’s shortcomings. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/aaron-sorkin/being-the-ricardos-review) ## Den of Geek — Don Kaye Rating 2.5 out of 5. 21 December 2021. Kaye finds the film overstuffed and ultimately hard to love, despite its talented cast and sharp dialogue. He singles out the distracting flash-forwards and competing crises for obscuring the story and its characters. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/being-the-ricardos-review-i-love-lucy/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating C-. 7 December 2021. Goldberg finds the film unfocused, overloaded with storylines, and weakened by Nicole Kidman’s portrayal of Lucille Ball. He praises the sharp dialogue and supporting cast, especially Javier Bardem’s charismatic performance. [Read the review](https://collider.com/being-the-ricardos-review-nicole-kidman-lucille-ball-movie/) ## /Film — Josh Spiegel Rating 3 out of 10. 7 December 2021. The critic finds the film exhausting, unfunny, and poorly served by Sorkin’s direction. J.K. Simmons earns praise for his casting and grouchy portrayal of William Frawley. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/679868/being-the-ricardos-review-an-exhausting-and-unfunny-look-at-one-of-the-funniest-people-ever/) ## Consequence — Liz Shannon Miller Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2021. Miller argues that Sorkin fundamentally misunderstands Lucy and Desi, leaving the film unable to capture what made them special. She particularly faults its treatment of Lucy and its grasp of comedy. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2021/12/being-the-ricardos-review-aaron-sorkin/) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the film contrived despite its promising premise and superficial beauty. They praise its visual polish but fault its artificial atmosphere and underexplored themes. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/being-the-ricardos-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2021. The critic finds the film dreary and overloaded, blaming Aaron Sorkin’s writing and direction despite strong performances from some cast members. They single out the murky cinematography and clumsy pacing as further problems that keep the story from becoming a compelling portrait of the couple. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/being-the-ricardos-film-review-nicole-kidman-aaron-sorkin-i-love-lucy/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/being-the-ricardos.md