The Ultimate Dreamgirl
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The movie is about a third assistant director who remembers his time with Marilyn Monroe when she shot the movie The Prince and the Showgirl in England for Sir Laurence Olivier.
I had high hopes of the movie so was of course disappointed. Based on the memoirs of the third assistant written as a book in the nineties, it is an engaging yet unsatisfying movie.
Yes, you get some insight into Marilyn Monroe's lifestyle during the height of her success and how she dealt with the attention and how people regarded her despite her obvious talent. She was a pinup for most, not a real celebrity, not a real Hollywood royalty.
But it is not much of a story. Maybe the editor in me is dissatisfied with the plotline. But what plot? This is a memoir, not a fiction story.
So it is an engaging movie. Entertaining, revealing, emotionally fragile, intense and wild. Marilyn Monroe comes alive on the big screen again. I caught the last day last show at 11:05 PM and had a good time.
The girl from Harry Potter movies makes a good small supporting role in the movie. The actor playing Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), the third assistant is brilliant. Kenneth Branagh shines as a out-of-patience Laurence Olivier. Michelle Williams is most comfortable as Marilyn Monroe. No complaints regarding the movie as such - it keeps you glued to your seat - just that it is a BBC made memoir and hence not fictionalised the way Hollywood makes The Aviator, Catch Me If You Can or other such biopics. It is a very real movie, which should be a good thing, but kind of leaves you feeling something is missing. Yes, Ms Monroe left us all too early in real life and that's how you feel after this movie is over.
Colin sums up the tension on the sets with the simple explanation...
Colin Clark: "It's agony because he's a great actor who wants to be a film star, and you're a film star who wants to be a great actress. This film won't help either of you."
http://myweekwithmarilynmovie.com/
http://www.myweekwithmarilynbook.com/
Worth catching and reminiscing.
1 comments:
I haven't seen My Week with Marilyn but I have heard some pretty good reviews about it. I love Marilyn, especially her famous quotes. She was a beautiful woman with still much insecurity that lurked underneath. I agree she left us all too soon. Its available tot rent on my Blockbuster @Home account so on my next day off working at DISH, I'm going to sit down and relax to watch it. The DVD is already in the mail headed for my house. I bet Michelle did a lovely job as Marilyn. I can't wait to watch it.
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