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My Week with Marilyn

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REVIEW : "My Week With Marilyn" (2011) - Movie by Simon Curtis@mandibil2327d

There seems to be a flood of "spotlight" biographical movies dealing with aspects of particularly the twentieth century in this new century (and millenium). It can both be seen as a way of tributing persons and events of that revolutionary century but also as bit of an admission that it is hard to find good new stories to tell.

It tends to be on the safe side of storytelling and rarely gives any kind of new insight or a seemingly honest description of whoever it portrays. Rather they become vehicles for presenting mainstream political correctness and servants of peoples prejudices. "Marilyn" is no exception and to compare it to another similar kind of movie I would compare it to "Hitchcock", which deals with the same era of western history and in many ways sexual "liberation", enabled by the cinema.

Marilyn Monroe has been cast opposite Lawrence Olivier in "The Prince and The Showgirl" and basically for one reason only, as Olivier reveals in a fit of rage due to Monroe´s notorious absence and unpreparedness. "Just be sexy, that is what you do right" as he yells.

As any cinephile will probably tell you, even in this age of social justice, Marilyn Monroe was cast for her almost mythological sex appeal, which she herself both exploited and hated. She was sat between two chairs in a way and even if she tried her best to do some method acting, as the movie tries to point at, she was always ever considered a sex goddess and nothing else. At the same time she apparently tried to stay sane by marrying a writer like Arthur Miller, but his introvertness cannot hide that he is probably just as hooked on her for her looks.

Into this scenario enters a young, ambitious third director, Colin Clark who serves as a go-getter for the film company and soon ends up involved in taking care of Monroe´s logistics and a little later, her emotional state so to say. It does not take long for Clark to be severely infatuated with the magnetic sexuality of Marilyn and slowly, as he gets more and more involved in the situation, develops a mix of boyish hots for her and a need to play the white knight who protects her.

But just as he surrenders himself to the fantasy of actually becoming her "boyfriend", she pulls away and exposes how she is quite incapable of having any meaningful relationship with a man. She knows how to attract them almost just by flashing a smile and make a little wiggle of the hip, but she is as emotionally mature as a 12 year old teenage girl. Even more so than the sexually blinded Clark.

Let me say first off, that all bases are covered here. The cinematography is conservative but solid. The actors are generally good to great, particularly Branagh who adds a sense of seriousness into this rather thin story. They even managed to dig up old Jerek Jacobi, to give it all a serious "Shakespearian" feel. I have nothing against Jacobi but it seems they tried to pull all the safe tricks to make this look like a "serious" movie.

But I am left with the strong notion of ... "why did I need to see this movie ?". It could work as a simplistic Marilyn biopic, but in that case, a week is just to short a timeframe to present any meaningful aspects of her life or persona. It could be a timeslice of the late 50s period leading into cinematic revolutions like the French new wave and sexual expositions like that of Hitchcock coming to the surface during these years. But no. The Prince and The Showgirl has nothing to offer either as a film in it self or the use of Monroe as a sexual cast in it. It is not explored in any way at all.

Even if the events are based on actual happenings, extracted from books written by the Clark, he only serves as a sort of human MacGuffin to get things rolling. He is not at all present in the movie as any kind of engaging character and it does not help that he has this suppressed, teenage-like fumbling way about him. It may have been his access card into Monroe´s life in a way as he seems harmless to her, but as a viewer I have a hard time identifying with him.

The movie basically ticks of what is expected to be happening here. Throws some decent actors at me and then expect me to be satisfied. Well I am not and there is practically nothing to extract from this one other than.. I was somewhat entertained but in the end it felt rather empty. Even if the movie tries to give us some insight into Monroe´s life it does not feel believable, since there was not really anything interesting about her in the first place ... except for her incredibly sexy looks.

It comes not recommended, as it only plays safe and never really tries to get into anything that could be considered interesting territory. The Clark story is so thin and pathetic it is hard to believe that it actually should have happened. But in any case, you can easily live without spending time and money on this one.

5/10

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›"My Week with Marilyn" by Simon Curtis - movie review@godflesh2861d
If you are ambitious to make a realistic portrait of a painted historical figure, you will almost certainly have to go to the bottom. You decide to give freedom of interpretation and to trust the naive, simple-human view of an innocent, in love young creature - there is a chance for a good coincidence of circumstances. The director of "My Week with Marilyn" Simon Curtis relies on this. For the 52-year-old TV series and filmmaker, this project is a debut in the "big cinema," but no element in it suggests uncertainty or hesitation - everything looks exactly the same as we would have imagined the place in the era. The most wanted woman of all modern times, Marilyn Monroe stands in front of the camera to the biggest British actor Sir Lawrence Olivier. He wants to revive his career, she - to touch professional acting.

The few months of working together are a test for both. Forty years later, the third production assistant director, Colin Clark, offers the ever-thirsty audience their personal notes titled "The Prince and the Showgirl and Me," which details details of the film's set. He falls there 23 years old, just graduated from Oxford and full of enthusiasm for work, in love with ears in cinema. His encounter with the acting giants literally changed his world, and years later Clark released a missing week with memories - "My Week with Marilyn". The film behind the producers David Parfit and Harvey Weinstein is based on Colin Clark's diaries. The risky idea of reviving cinema icons in images that stand naturally in front of the audience of the 21st century is more than a challenge. Director Curtis can not believe his chance when it becomes clear he will take over the project. She suggests writer Adrian Hodges (with whom he worked for David Copperfield) to prepare photo material from Clark's memories. Originally skeptical, Hodges finds an interesting and unconventional image of a star that has every chance to shine on the screen again. For the role of Marilyn, the director can not imagine another actress except Michelle Williams. She, in turn, is determined to do everything - really everything she is capable of not betraying the credibility of the film crew and above all - not disappointing the viewers.

Thanks to the enchanting the oscar winner Eddie Redmayne ( and in this time a 20-year-old man who has played on Shakespeare's Globe Theater), who already has an enviable stage, television and cinema experience, and of course the flawless Michelle Williams, "My Week with Marilyn "can safely bear the definitions as" mandatory "and" impressive ". Without pretentious artifice, no obsession with the likeness of real faces and events, with no skeptic eyebrows of mistrust, the film is a leap in time - light and exquisite, tasteful in detail, with a sense of recreation. A young person helps a star feel calm and loved, protected and appreciated for her own - the woman, which is in fact not a constructed and exploited media image. The two main actors are doing great with their assignments. Kenneth Branra (in the role of Sir Lawrence Olivier) also offers unparalleled professionalism - how does this person manage to be so accurate. Surely the explanation lies in his British nature. Several minor images are needed and charming additions to the overall picture, though they appear briefly: Vivian Lee , another husband Arthur Miller (Dougre Scott), Marilyn's delicate bodyguard (Philippe Jackson) and - of course - the great and unbeatable Judy Dench, who in her role as an actress in the prepared film literally saves Marilyn from her insecurity.

One must not miss a very important fact - the musical performances in the film by Michelle Williams - she sings and dances to fascinate viewers as she had the chance to do with her famous heroine. Who can be angry about the character she has? Marilyn falls into strange moods, distraught, frivolous, unhappy, seemingly uninterested in anything but the way it is perceived by others - but Michelle manages to approach so gently to the familiar image that all his imperfections fall into the background. And in the memory of the viewer there is a feeling of warmth, sympathy, and empathy in the memory of the viewer - to the pure love shared between a star and a boy once, many years ago ... Who is she? Whether there is one answer ...

image source 1, 2

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›My Week With Marilyn - Movie Review@coldsteem3235d

As a young man of twenty-three, Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) had the rare opportunity to work on a film with Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh). The film is based on Clark's recollections of his time working on the set, published in his book The Prince, The Showgirl and Me. My Week With Marilyn is based on these memoirs, detailing the making of The Prince and the Showgirl and Clark's alleged affair with Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams).

Colin Clark was connected. He was the slacker in a family of over-achievers. His love for film set him apart from the rest of his family. His desire to be involved in the film industry landed him in the presence of Sir Laurence Olivier, whose studio was planning a light comedy starring Olivier and Marilyn Monroe. The working title of the film that would later be called The Prince and The Showgirl was The Sleeping Prince. Clark persists in hanging out at the studio office until his resourcefulness lands him a job as the third Assistant Director. In other words, he is a glorified gopher.

Clark proves himself a valuable resource as he navigates the challenges that present themselves as the studio gears up for production. However, the greatest challenge arrives in the form of Marilyn Monroe. Monroe lacks confidence, is habitually late, requires a "method" coach and constantly blows her lines. But when she gets it right...it's magic. Olivier doesn't buy Monroe's child-like naivete, continuously urging the actress to step up her game. It is Clark who steps in and gives Monroe the confidence she needs to finish the film, while the two engage in a somewhat platonic tryst.

I am not sure I believe Clark's version of events, but then, who can challenge it? Whether it is true or not, the story itself was a bit heavy handed. It is obvious to the audience that the story was written from Clark's perspective, since his contributions are so overblown. The characters were decent, but the story was uninspiring. Excerpts from a diary kept during the filming of a flop film probably present plenty of challenges in terms of holding the interest of an audience. Okay, so maybe Clark had an affair with Monroe. Why should I care? Monroe's drug abuse plays a minor role, her personality and conflict with Olivier is a theme, but overall, the film didn't have enough punch to be worthwhile. It was saved by an outstanding performance by Michelle Williams.

Michelle Willimas transformed herself into Marilyn Monroe. I was convinced by her portrayal, which captured the erratic aspects of Monroe's personality as well as her incredible vibrancy when she stands in front of a camera. Williams was delightful. I was glad that Clark wasn't cast as some Errol Flynn look-alike. The choice of Redmayne for the role made the concept of the affair easier to swallow. He didn't have exceptionally good looks, but his character exuded a quiet charm that I could understand a woman experiencing a vast emptiness might find attractive. While I still don't fully buy the premise of this film, the performances were brilliant. EmmaWatson (from the Harry Potter films) has a cameo role, which she handled well. Branagh did a great job as Olivier and Julia Ormand was delightful as his wife Vivien Leigh. But in the end, the other performances were simply overshadowed by Williams performance. Maybe it is a case of art imitating art.

My Week With Marilyn was rated R by the MPAA. IMDB points to language as the reason for the rating. The f-word makes an appearance, and language is certainly a contributing factor. But we also see Marilyn Monroe (Williams) naked in two scenes, although it is artfully done with minimal nudity. The adult themes are also central to the story. While we never witness an actual sex scene between Monroe and Clark, it is suggested that the pair are giving that impression. Drugs and alcohol are also contributing factors to the rating. This is mild as R films go.

My Week With Marilyn is a forgettable film. If it were not for Michelle Williams, I would not likely remember this film in a weeks time. Even given her performance, I am not sure this film will stay with me. Either way, the story was just not that great. It was mildly interesting, slightly humorous and playful with an amazing performance from Williams. Beyond that, this film lacked substance. Mildly recommended with 6.5/10

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