Pros: Stunning acting by Russell Crowe; good acting ensemble; impressive work of make-up artists; non-standard installation; an attempt to show the transformation of a talented person into a monster and paranoid; interesting facts from the political life of the USA Cons: The viewer is required to have some understanding of the workings of the US political system and the basics of journalism The Loudest Voice / “The Loudest Voice”
Genre political drama
Creator Gabriel Sherman
Cast: Russell Crowe (Roger Isles), Sienna Miller (Elizabeth Isles), Seth MacFarlane (Brian Lewis), Naomi Watts (Gretchen Carlson), Annabelle Wallis (Laurie Luhn), Simon McBurney (Rupert Murdoch), Alexa Palladino (Judy Laterza) , Josh Stamberg (Bill Shine), etc.
Showtime channel
Year of release 2019
Episode 7
Site IMDb
Roger Ailes was truly a very talented manager and producer from God. In just six months, he created and launched a new news network, which very soon became the most popular cable network in the United States, with almost 100 million paid subscribers. Ailes was well versed in politics, was a patriot and a staunch Republican, helped in the election campaigns of Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, advised George W. Bush and Donald Trump. It was Ailes who helped Bush Jr. to launch an anti-Iraq campaign after the events of September 11, 2001. But every time, promoting his beliefs, only his, the most correct point of view on certain events, he pushed the whole world to the edge, distorting facts, manipulating public opinion, destroying journalism. Some experts believe that Roger Ailes and Fox News played a critical role in ushering in an era of fake news, distrust of government institutions and rampant populism around the world.
The creators of the series The Loudest Voice tried to show how Roger Ailes, from a generally good person with his own, albeit slightly distorted, principles, over the course of 20 years turned into a real paranoid and monster, ready to do anything to defend his point of view and protect America from dangers. most of which he made up. How daily little lies poisoned him, his environment, his employees, his country.
The Loudest Voice series has only 7 episodes and they are titled with dates to which certain events are tied. It all starts in 1995, when Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch conceived Fox News and launched the news network in just six months. Here we see Ailes the creator, Ailes not afraid of any difficulties, Ailes the winner. The second episode, “2001”, tells the story of the events of September 11, 2001, the shock that America experienced and Ailes’s first steps towards the dark side of the force. He decides to turn Fox News into a propaganda channel directly supporting the military operation in Iraq. The third episode, “2008,” focuses on the election of Barack Obama and Fox News’ war against the Democratic candidate and then president. “2009” continues the story of the confrontation between Ailes and Obama. “2012” is dedicated to Obama’s re-election. The final two episodes, “2015” and “2016,” focused primarily on Ailes’ behavior toward female employees, his sex scandal, and, to a small extent, his assistance with Donald Trump’s televised debate preparations.
In this story, politics and journalism are intertwined so tightly that to understand what is happening, it is worth understanding a little about the principles of the US electoral system and some of the basics of television journalism.
A huge success for the authors of The Loudest Voice – the right choice of performers. The series has a very good cast, but, of course, Russell Crowe’s talent outshines everyone else. Just like Ailes himself, he’s simply the loudest voice in the room. The three-time Oscar nominee (2000, 2001, 2002), who received the highest film award for his role in the film Gladiator, does not act in films so often now, including because of his disgusting character, which led to many scandals with his participation and even to the actor’s arrest. However, Russell Crowe is indeed a very strong actor and the role of Roger Ailes is perhaps the best of his career. It’s a pity that film awards are rarely given to performers who play bad guys.
In general, The Loudest Voice has a lot of good actors. Creator of Family Guy and The Orville Seth MacFarlane, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Sienna Miller, Laurence Olivier Award winner Simon McBurney, twice Oscar nominated Naomi Watts and others.
In addition, it is worth noting the impressive work of the make-up artists. Not only did they manage to create heavy makeup for Russell Crowe that did not interfere with his acting, but they also very carefully aged the characters of Russell Crowe, Sienna Miller and Simon McBurney from episode to episode. Great job!
The Loudest Voice is not the easiest film to watch. There is no particular dynamics here, although the authors are trying to correct this shortcoming with the help of non-linear editing, but as a political thriller the series is certainly good, especially considering that it is based on real events from very recent US history. If you like films like The Post and Spotlight, we highly recommend watching The Loudest Voice. Yes, it shows a completely different side of journalistic work, but to understand the current situation with the media, you need to look at the problem from different angles.
The Loudest Voice isn’t the only Roger Ailes and Fox News movie coming out this year. The premiere of the film Bombshell is scheduled for December 20, 2019 (the title can be translated as “Pretty Woman” or “Sexbomb”, or as “Stunning News”) directed by Jay Roach, known for the Austin Powers trilogy and the comedies Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers and The Campaign. The role of Roger Ailes in the film will be played by John Lithgow (the amazing Churchill in the TV series The Crown), and Nicole Kidman will bring to life the image of Gretchen Carlson. The film also stars Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie and Malcolm McDowell. The film will focus primarily on the 2016 sex scandal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAnJJHrq0Ws
Conclusion:
An interesting biographical drama about very recent events in US political history
