Not only do I love films, but I always look into the history of film and some of its pioneers. Marilyn Monroe is something else entirely. While she was a pioneer of sorts, Monroe's story fits closer to more like the celebrities we have these days.
For me as an actor, Monroe was under appreciated as she was more than just a ditsy blonde. You can tell she wanted to branch out and push boundaries. But there wasn't enough interest from the studios casting her for anything other than comedic relief or simply being a pretty face.
It amazes me that Monroe is still very much loved, and it is a shame that she is not around to know that her legacy lives on.
When I heard about this film being made and some of the people that were part of this project, I was very excited to see what would come of it.
I was certainly not prepared for this. I knew Monroe's life had dark parts to it. But director Andrew Dominik decided to fully concentrate on those parts and make it largely down beat and grim. Sometimes even shocking, dark and gruesome.
There are some amazing reconstructions of famous moments in her life whether from film footage or photographs. There were honestly times where I couldn't tell if it was archive footage or something that was shot for the film. The production team have done a grand job and it deserved to be applauded.
The content and some of the pacing gets pretty full on in so many ways. From the graphic imagery to the camerawork making you feel like you are crammed in with a large uncontrollable crowd, you are most likely to feel mentally exhausted afterwards.
There is a scene in the final act that I felt really uncomfortable watching and that is rare for me to feel like that. I get what they were doing. But I'm not sure if it needed to be on screen for that long. That scene may put some people off.
It's interesting that Andrew Dominik was directing this as he also did 'The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford' which is an effective slow-burner about the perils of fame and explores why we are obsessed with celebrities. This clearly has his touch. However, the pacing is very different.
It actually plays out more like a psychological horror which I was not expecting. It has themes of childhood trauma and it being revisited in adulthood. There are many unsettling and nightmarish sequences that would sit well with a David Lynch or Darren Aronofsky feature.
You can partially see aspects of media's abuse of the celebrity culture. But it is psychological more than anything else.
Ana De Armas gives another great performance and truly transforms into the Hollywood icon. The mannerisms, the voice and just the looks De Armas gives really shows that she has done the work and given it everything to make us believe we are seeing Monroe and not De Armas. I have been a big fan of hers ever since I first saw her in Blade Runner 2049. It is only a matter of time before she receives a major award for something. If this performance was not on this level, then I fear this film would not work.
The only other performances that I felt were worth mentioning were Xavier Samuel and Evan Williams, whose chemistry with De Armas gave the only bit of brightness to the story.
The overall production is pretty phenomenal. As mentioned before, it looks fantastic. The recreation of some iconic moments are flawless. I actually forgot for the most part that it changed between 'black and white' and 'colour' on screen as well as changes to the aspect ratio to make it line with the time period.
The score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is wonderfully haunting and reminded me of Angelo Badalamenti's work for 'Mulholland Drive' or Hildur Gudnadottir's music for 'Joker'.
Now after seeing it, I think this film will be a tough sell for a general audience. When the mainstream thinks of Monroe, they imagine glitz and glamour. This is far from it. It focuses on a particular aspect of her life and it is the gloomy, unsettling, abusive and nightmarish part with additions that are based on rumours. There is a barely anything to feel-good about. What it does have however is a strong performance by De Armas and eye-catching visuals and camerawork that make it extremely immersive.
A recent similarity could be 'Spencer'. However, that at least had some empathy. I could even say this would make a great companion piece with 'Joker'.
There is a lot to like from a production standpoint as well as De Armas' performance. But I cannot quite move into an exceptional rating as the almost 3hrs runtime just made it a bit too much doom and gloom for me. It did get repetitive at times with certain scenes and it would have been to have some hope. So I am currently conflicted. I could possibly appreciate it more over time now that I know what to expect. But all I will say is that this will be a divisive film.
I think the important thing going into it is knowing what kind of film it is supposed to be and which piece of reference the director is basing the film on. This is a fictionalised biopic. So if you want to see something purely based on truth and facts, I would recommend looking for one of the many documentaries about Monroe.
However, if you don't mind having some additions that aren't necessarily true, then you'll have something that is very well crafted and shot with a strong leading performance and some tough to watch sequences that will certainly make it unforgettable.
Rating: 7/10
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