Have you noticed that, when there’s a major scripted film about a real person from history, there’s often a documentary to go along with it at the same time? One of the very first articles I wrote for this site was about RBG and On the Basis of Sex, where the former was clearly the superior product. Recently, Being the Ricardos opened in theaters and then quickly to Amazon Prime. The movie looks at a (fictionalized) tempestuous week for the TV power couple. The documentary on the same couple, from director Amy Poehler, zooms out to look at their entire story, offering a good amount of added context.
This film’s title gives away its focus, which is that the lives of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were so intertwined, even after they were no longer married, that it’s impossible to truly separate them...
Now, the name of the iconic TV show does favor one among them, and the balance of power that gave Desi’s wife more fame is a topic covered in this thoroughly-researched and assembled documentary. But the general thesis is that these two changed the television landscape forever, and they couldn’t have done it without each other.
The approach to interviews is startlingly similar to Being the Ricardos, which employed future-set conversations with the writing staff on the show featuring much older actors. Tape recordings of Lucy, Desi, and others do play in the doc over still photographs and other scenes, but the commentary comes just as much from the children of those people who still live today and have had years to reflect on how much their parents did for the industry. It’s particularly interesting to hear not only from Lucy and Desi’s children but also from those born to the writers, who have vivid recollections of what their parents told them about their formative experiences working with Lucy and Desi.
Among the warmest and most welcome facets of this film are the frequent clips from I Love Lucy that demonstrate Lucy’s comedic brilliance, and just how much she committed to every bit of physical humor that was employed throughout the show. Seeing her in later years in other roles and accepting accolades helps to paint a fuller picture of her as a person, and photographs of an older, grayer Desi also humanize him and add depth to the secondary figure here whose Cuban heritage and management prowess do get a good deal of screen time.
Diehard fans of I Love Lucy and its famous stars may not find much in the way of new information here, and those carefully contrasting it with Being the Ricardos should conclude that most of it lines up, give or take a few slight adjustments for narrative simplicity. There’s not much of an imprint from Poehler in her documentary filmmaking debut other than a clear reverence for the comedic icon that was Lucille Ball. More than anything, it’s a treat to be able to spend time getting to know Lucy and Desi, and to see them at the height of their careers, making fantastic television and seeing great success from it. That alone feels like reason enough to turn on the TV. B+
Lucy and Desi is playing in the Premieres section of this year’s Sundance Film Festival and premieres on Amazon Prime on Friday, March 4th