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Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story

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Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
Theatrical poster
Directed byAlexandra Dean
Written byAlexandra Dean
Produced by
StarringHedy Lamarr
Cinematography
  • Buddy Squires
  • Alex Stikich
Edited by
  • Alexandra Dean
  • Penelope Falk
  • Lindy Jankura
Music by
Production
company
Reframed Pictures
Distributed byZeitgeist Films
Release dates
  • April 23, 2017 (2017-04-23) (Tribeca)
  • November 24, 2017 (2017-11-24)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.5 million
Box office$764,009[1]

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (referred to onscreen as simply Bombshell) is a 2017 American biographical documentary film directed, written and co-edited by Alexandra Dean, about the life of the actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2017 and was released theatrically on November 24, 2017. It was broadcast on PBS's American Masters in May 2018.[2]

Synopsis

The film follows the life story of Lamarr from her youth as the daughter of assimilated Austrian Jews through her rise to fame, the Nazi onslaught, her departure for the United States, six marriages, her acting career, her landmark invention, decline, and finally her death at the age of 85 in 2000. The focus of the film is on her co-creation with George Antheil of the technology of frequency hopping.

The film delves into Lamarr's different, seemingly unhealthy relationships with Louis B. Mayer (the head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios), Max Jacobson (Dr. Feelgood), and director Cecil B. DeMille. The film also shows how Hedy Lamarr became so reclusive at the end of her life.

Reception

Critical reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 96%, based on 77 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Inspiring and tragic, Bombshell is a bittersweet celebration and reclamation of Hedy Lemarr's journey from Hollywood legend to technology genius."[3] Metacritic gave the film a score of 69 out of 100 based on 15 critical reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[4]

Manohla Dargis, writing in the New York Times, said of the film, "Bombshell is a very enjoyable addition to what has become a minor Hedy Lamarr industry that includes documentaries, books and stage productions... Ms. Dean relates Lamarr’s ventures, those onscreen and off, with savvy and narrative snap, fluidly marshaling a mix of original interviews and archival material that includes film clips, home movies and other footage."[5] She later listed it among her favorite films of the year.[6]

The Hollywood Reporter stated, "first-time director Dean does an excellent job of marshalling old source material, setting the scene for an account of Lamarr's life on- and off-screen"....[7] Kenneth Turan, writing in the Los Angeles Times, called the film "timely" and noted, "what makes Bombshell intriguing is not just Lamarr's gift for invention, it's also what a fiery individualist she was, someone who had no regrets about her eventful life ("You learn from everything"), not even its racy, tabloid elements."[8]

Awards and nominations

The film has won several awards since being shown at the Tribeca Film Festival, including a New York Times Critic's Pick and five audience awards. J. Hoberman named it "one of the ten best films of 2017".[9] In December 2017 the song "She" from the film by Alice Phoebe Lou was included on the Oscars shortlist for Best Original Song.[10]

References

  1. ^ "BOMBSHELL: The Hedy Lamarr Story (2017)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 2, 2018
  2. ^ Epstein, Sonia (2017-12-07). "World Premiere of Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story". Sloan Science & Film. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  3. ^ "Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  4. ^ "Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  5. ^ Dargis, Manohla (2017-11-23). "Review: 'Bombshell' Tells the Amazing Story of Hedy Lamarr, the Star and Inventor". New York Times. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  6. ^ Dargis, Manohla; Scott, A. O. (2017-12-06). "The Best Movies of 2017". New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
  7. ^ DeFore, John (2017-04-25). "'Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story': Film Review | Tribeca 2017". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  8. ^ Turan, Kenneth (2017-12-07). "'Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story' uncovers the secret life of a Hollywood glamour queen". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
  9. ^ J. Hoberman (December 2017). "Film:Best of 2017". Artforum.
  10. ^ "70 Original Songs Vie for 2017 Oscar®". Oscars.org. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 2017-12-18. Retrieved 2017-12-25.
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