Dalton Trumbo

This is one of the little-big Oscar movies. And it’s a shame that Trumbo didn’t make it into Czech cinemas. Especially since it’s a proper biographical drama that’s based around Hollywood life, which is interesting in itself. On top of that, there’s this absolutely brilliant acting performance by Bryan Cranston, whom I didn’t even know before. Could there have been any more surprises? I don’t think so. After watching this, I thought that Trumbo is definitely the biggest Oscar movie surprise. You don’t even know what to expect and by the end of it, your soul feels pure. (29/02/2016)

Bryan Cranston was certainly captivating, the real Trumbo even more so; the time period it was set in was horrible. The film is certainly well made, but I don't know why; when it was all over I felt like I wasn't getting something, like I'd skipped a scene that would have wrapped it all up for me. Maybe this feeling will pass when I watch Trumbo's biography (the "non-artistic" one, that is). (04/01/2017)

Trumbo belongs to a group of films in which Hollywood metaphorically holds up a mirror - it looks back into the past and tells the stories of characters who turned Hollywood into a famous factory of dreams. This time, it reminds us of the difficult situation of left-wing artists in the late 1940s and early 1950s, who were accused of communist conspiracy, tried, and deprived of the ability to work publicly. Trumbo was one of the most famous screenwriters of his time and can be considered one of the most significant victims of the McCarthy witch hunt. The film has two great strengths. One is the acting chameleon Bryan Cranston, whom most viewers will probably recognize as the father in the series Breaking Bad. Cranston feels at home in complex dramatic roles and goes through the whole film as an absolute master. The other strength is the screenplay, which I think even the great master of the pen, Trumbo himself, would praise. It contains all the emotions - it knows how to be touching when it should, create tension when necessary, and make you laugh at other times. Special mention goes to John Goodman in a small but noticeable role as the head of a studio specializing in producing the lowest quality films. After Trumbo's public condemnation, he decides to take him under his protective wing (not free of charge, of course). I only have two comments about the film - Hollywood loves big stories and big characters. Trumbo met these requirements. He was the king among the screenwriters of that time, and he had considerable wealth, which guaranteed that no matter what happened, he would never hit rock bottom. The lesser-known victims of that campaign did not have such luck. Secondly, for those who would like to compare it to the parallel repressions in the Eastern Bloc: although the persecution in America was undoubtedly repulsive, it never even remotely reached the scale seen in the East, where the state was practically the only employer and controlled all spheres of life. Overall impression: 80%. (07/08/2018)

Certainly a worthy and significant notch in the armoury of recent cinema, but the expressive devices and uneven pacing make this a hard to digest film, perhaps in the same way as grumpy/morose performance by the world class Bryan Cranston. (21/04/2019)

Bryan Cranston showcases an absolutely incredible performance in a movie that demonstrates how paranoid America can be and how it is capable of turning against its own best interests purely based on unfounded fear and prejudice. Human hatred is truly just around the corner and can be easily provoked. All it takes is saying something wrong and having "wrong" opinions. This is a repulsive world, but an excellent film. (28/02/2016)

A solid film from within the industry. Candid, without any major hooray, the story of Dalton Trumbo is so compelling on its own that it didn't need any more dramatization than necessary. You won’t find many memorable scenes, but you'll always be curious to see what's the next thing to go wrong in the famous screenwriter's life. Cranston is brilliant as Trumbo, and I emphasize "is" because you actually believe his performance. In the end, it probably won't be enough to win awards – the film looks too "ordinary" compared to its competitors, but it will find its fans. (07/02/2016)