Movie Review: My Week with Marilyn

 I could write endlessly of my love of Marilyn Monroe. I’ve been a Marilyn lover ever since I could remember, and even though her legend (or gossip of her legend) tends to lend more value to her infamous affair with JFK, I feel the untold truths of who Marilyn Monroe really was far outweigh the tabloid fodder that in many cases foils her memory. With that said, when I found out there would be yet another Marilyn movie in the works, I was extremely indifferent about seeing the film for fear that it would be an utter disappointment and play on her polarizing public mishaps, rather than try to explore her humanity and what made her tick. Oh how relieved I am to report, THIS IS NOT ANOTHER DISAPPOINTING MARILYN FILM. I can’t say enough how absolutely mesmerized I was by Michelle Williams performance along with the rest of the cast. Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh were simply marvelous, Eddie Redmayne was sympathetic and believable, and Emma Watson just purely shinned. This film has by far surpassed any expectation I could have ever had of what I perceived to be a suitable look into the life of one of the most iconic figure Hollywood has ever produced. Although the film doesn’t really give you details of Marilyn’s life (but how much can you really expect when the film only covers one week of her life, from the prospective of the male main character) it does satisfy the desire for a much more intimate vantage point of the complexities and unraveling of the most recognizable star to grace the silver screen.  In my opinion My Week with Marilyn was stunning, compelling, true to form, and simply brilliant. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see it yet, I can with a clear conscious advocate you taking the time to run to your local theater, watch and enjoy!

The Cast-

My Week with Marilyn stars Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Eddie Redmayne, and Emma Watson. The film is a British biographical take on two books written by the male lead Colin Clark. The film was directed by Simon Curtis, and written by Adrian Hodges.

The Plot-

It’s 1957 and a young British set assistant has just landed a dream job on the set of a major motion picture The Prince and the Showgirl, which happens to star two of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars- Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn (Williams), seems to have quite a bit on her plate; not only is she filming a movie overflowing with media pressure, she is also on her honeymoon with her new husband, playwright Authur Miller while on location. Authur Miller, whom also seems to be under the microscope and really feeling the scrutiny, decides to leave Marilyn behind and return back to the US. After Miller’s departure, Colin (Redmayne) is commissioned to escort Marilyn around Britain, spending an entire week with the star that quickly turns into a short-lived fling. For Colin, the week was magical, giving him hopes that it would parlay into a flourishing relationship. What he realizes soon after is that there are many more layers to Marilyn that both complicate his fairy tale image of the star, and shatter his hopes of love and Hollywood happily ever after.

This was such a great film! I can’t say it enough. Great film, great film, great film!