Lucy and Desi – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

LUCY AND DESI – Review by Martha K Baker

March 8, 2022March 9, 2022 Martha K. Baker amy poehler, biodocs, carol burnett, desi arzaz, i love lucy, Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, lucille ball, Lucy and Desi, motw, Movie of the Week

Aaron Sorkin’s feature film, “Being the Ricardos,” studies a tumultuous week in the production of “I Love Lucy” with trips

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 4, 2022: LUCY AND DESI

February 26, 2022March 9, 2022 Jennifer Merin amy poehler, betsy bozdech, biodocs, carol burnett, Cate Marquis, desi arzaz, i love lucy, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, lucille ball, Lucy and Desi, mariyn ferdinand, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, susan wloszczyna

If watching Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem in Being the Ricardos left you craving even more details about the lives of one of Hollywood’s most famous TV power couples, director Amy Poehler has you covered. Her documentary Lucy and Desi is simultaneously informative and intimate, telling the fascinating story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s lifelong love for each other and how it was both fueled and frustrated by their shared passion for showbiz.

Reviews

LUCY AND DESI – Review by Loren King

February 21, 2022February 26, 2022 Loren King amy poehler, biodocs, carol burnett, desi arzaz, i love lucy, Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, lucille ball, Lucy and Desi, motw, Movie of the Week

If Being the Ricardos, despite Nicole Kidman’s and Javier Bardem’s Oscar nominated performances, didn’t convey the seismic impact of the personal and professional partnership of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz on the entertainment world, then and now, the corrective is the documentary Lucy and Desi. Amy Poehler directed this treasure of rare, candid photographs and film clips including home movies that traces their careers, marriage and creation of the groundbreaking TV comedy I Love Lucy. Poehler lets the story unfold largely in their own words, through film footage and audio recordings.

Reviews

LUCY AND DESI – Review by Susan Wloszczyna

February 21, 2022February 26, 2022 Susan Wloszczyna amy poehler, biodocs, carol burnett, desi arzaz, i love lucy, Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, lucille ball, Lucy and Desi, motw, Movie of the Week

As a card-carrying Baby Boomer, I watched the ground-breaking sitcom I Love Lucy as well as the reruns that continue to be recycled throughout the TV universe to this day. Why? Because the multi-talented Lucille Ball was one of my female idols growing up. The reason? Unlike the moms on such family comedies as The Donna Reed Show, Leave It to Beaver or, heaven forbid, Father Knows Best, they were domestic goddesses who wore pearls and frilly aprons while happily caring for their broadcast clans. However, on-air, Lucy wasn’t so keen on being a housewife. But Lucy desperately wanted to be an entertainer like her musical husband Ricky.

Festivals Reviews

LUCY AND DESI (Sundance FF 2022) – Review by Leslie Combemale

January 25, 2022January 25, 2022 Leslie Combemale amy poehler, being the ricardos, documentary, i love lucy, Lucie Arnaz, Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, Lucy and Desi, sundance film festival 2022

Director Amy Poehler;s documentary Lucy and Desi can arguably be called the definitive work on these sitcom trailblazers and first popular interracial couple in Hollywood. Fans of the gorgeous redheaded powerhouse called ‘The Queen of the Bs’, and the man who was both a brilliant producer and a magnetic performer who popularized the rhumba in the US, will learn lots of new information from the subjects themselves and love every minute of it.