Danny Boyle's 'Ink' Unveils Tabloid Frenzy at Venice Film Festival

Danny Boyle's latest film, "Ink," has premiered at the Venice Film Festival, offering a "lurid, violent, and thumpingly unsubtle" look at the birth of The Sun newspaper. Adapted from James Graham's 2017 stage play, the movie delves into a pivotal chapter in the prehistory of modern media, exploring the transformation of an "ailing minor title" into a "circulation powerhouse."

The film chronicles Rupert Murdoch's acquisition of The Sun in the late 1960s and his decision to hire the formidable Yorkshire newspaperman, Larry Lamb, as its editor. "Ink" masterfully conjures the energy and frenzy of tabloid journalism from that era, employing "Dutch angles, cartoony shocks and gargoyle closeups" to immerse the audience in the chaotic world of Fleet Street.

Jack O’Connell delivers a "terrific" performance as Larry Lamb, portraying him as a "muscular and pugnacious working-class reporter made good." Guy Pearce takes on the role of Rupert Murdoch, offering a "coolly composed performance." Interestingly, Pearce's portrayal is described as less of a "panto monster" than one might expect, even showing Murdoch becoming "increasingly squeamish and fastidious" about some of Lamb's more audacious ideas for the paper, such as the introduction of Page 3 girls.

The narrative explores how both Murdoch and Lamb, feeling excluded by the establishment, were driven to prove themselves and shake up the existing media landscape. While capturing the high-stakes, expense-account dining world of Fleet Street executives, the film also highlights the stark contrast with the "sweat and ink" covered journalists and print unions on the ground.

Reports indicate that Rupert Murdoch himself was "very happy" with Guy Pearce's depiction, a testament to the film's nuanced characterizations.

Ultimately, "Ink" is hailed as an "exhilarating portrait" that offers a reflective and sometimes "strangely depressing" insight into the early days of a media empire that would profoundly shape the future of journalism.

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