“Lucy and Desi” Sundance Review

-Allison McCulloch

Amy Poehler wowed us with her feature directorial debut, Wine Country (out on Netflix). Now she returns, directing a documentary about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. It features audio tapes from Lucy and interviews from people including her daughter Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, and actresses Bette Midler, and Carol Burnett. We get a full picture of the red-headed comedian who brought so much joy to her audience while battling her personal battles. There is mild overlap between the documentary and Aaron Sorkin’s recent film, Being the Ricardos. Poehler’s documentary works much better than Sorkin’s biopic.

I enjoyed the fact that Lucy worked so well with Vivian Vance, the actress who played Ethel Mertz, in a time when actresses were often pitted against each other. Also, I had no idea Buster Keaton acted as a mentor to Lucy, giving her tips on props and body movement. All in all, I recommend the documentary if you have any interest in Lucille Ball or comedy, in general.

Rating: 8/10

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