“Breaking News in Yuba County” (MA) ***and a half

THE screenplay for director Tate Taylor’s movie about many of the things that characterise the US is Afro-American writer Amanda Idoko’s feature debut, after a very brief incursion into network TV.

Without any blare of trumpets, those two people have built a solid foundation for a wickedly clever satirical vehicle in which Allison Janney once again reminds us that a woman doesn’t have to be young, gorgeous or a media flavour-of-the-week to be a hugely gifted actress, winner of one Oscar, 74 other awards and a nominee for 102 other individual and group awards in the moving-image industry.

Sue Buttons (Janney) is a suburban housewife whose husband works at a bank. Sue is a mousey lady, slim of body, with not a lot of eye candy to flaunt nor a great dress sense. On the day in question, she catches her husband in flagrante with bigly-built Leah (Bridget Everett). Shortly after, he collapses and dies. More angry than distressed, Sue buries him and his possessions.

From that moment, “Breaking News in Yuba County” develops into a convoluted couple of days in Sue’s life, moving at a pace just short of being too quick to follow. 

It’s packed with guns, automotive events, celebrity presenters on local TV, bags full of banknotes, dodging a wanna-be mobster (Awkwafina), a relentless lady cop (Regina Hall), Sue’s half-sister (Mila Kunis) who’s a local news reporter desperate for a story, and her husband’s deadbeat brother (Jimmi Simpson), who all set out to uncover the truth behind the disappearance.

It’s great fun, as in-your-face satire has to be. Through it all, Sue moves with awkward determination. Allison Janney has an unshakeable spot on the top shelf of my pantheon of magnificent actresses. 

At Dendy, Palace Electric and Hoyts