Back in October I shared with you all a stunning spread from Vogue magazine featuring Michelle Williams as American cultural icon Marilyn Monroe. The spread was promoting her upcoming role in the film "My Week With Marilyn." I already wanted to see the movie, but once I saw Williams in full hair, make up and costume, I was counting the minutes until the premiere.
Despite my incredible desire to see the film on the big screen I didn't make it to any of the local theaters in time. Realizing I missed my window, I added the movie to my Netflix queue.
Today after months of waiting I finally got to see "My Week With Marilyn" and I loved it! Honestly, this is one of the best movies I have seen in years. In fact, when it was over I found myself wishing I could go back to awards season and root for this cast and this film instead! I wish every person involved on this film could have gone home with an Oscar - the actors, the director, the cinematographers, the musical director, the costume director, the hair and make up people and more.
Let's start with Michelle Williams. She was, in a word, oustanding. Williams became Marilyn Monroe. She immersed herself in this role completely, altering her voice, posture, mannerisms and physical appearance. She wasn't playing Marilyn Monroe, she was Marilyn Monroe.
What I found most impressive about Williams' performance was her effortless sexuality and coquettishness. She was magnetizing without being overtly sexual, which is difficult to pull off.
In her real life, Williams keeps to herself in Brooklyn and avoids the public eye. To see her convincingly play a woman who basks in the spotlight is feat deserving of high praise.
The one thing about her take on Marilyn that I found interesting was that she played her as a simpleton. Her version of Marilyn seemed almost feeble. She was fragile, naive and lacked social graces. Having grown up in a time where Marilyn Monroe was someone you saw on posters in college dorms, not live on TV or in movies, I can't say for sure if this is what she was really like, but I was surprised by this aspect of her personality.
Kenneth Branagh plays Laurence Olivier, Marilyn's co-star in the movie "The Prince and the Showgirl." He is also the director of this film within the film. Branagh was superb. While watching him I kept thinking, "Yup, he deserved every single on of those award nominations this year." In his portrayl of Olivier, Branagh is equals parts pompous and concerned as he tries to maintain his position of power, while also needing to handle Marilyn with kid gloves.
Young actor Eddie Redmayne plays Colin Clark, a production assistant on this tumultous film set. "My Week With Marilyn" is actually based on the real life diary that Colin Clark kept while working on "The Prince and the Showgirl."
Eddie Redmayne is delicious. I was enamored with him from the first moment he appeared on screen. In the first third of the movie, Colin desparetly tries to prove himself as a worthy asset to the film studio and to Sir Olivier. After meeting Marilyn, he quickly becomes the objection of her affection and falls for her. Hard.
Colin protects Marilyn with unconditional love and devotion. When you watch him, you find yourself thinking, "Awww, I remember feeling that way."
Eddie is officially on my "Ones to Watch" list.
While Colin pines for Marilyn, costume department worker Lucy is falling for Colin. Lucy is played by the one and only Emma Watson, also know as Hermione Granger from "Harry Potter!" She was perfect as the type of girl I like to call "the shrew."
The all star cast continues with Dame Judi Dench. Dench plays Dame Sybil Thorndike who becomes Marilyn Monroe's ally on a set where everyone is disappointed in her. Is there anything Dame Judi Dench can't do? I mean, really.
One of my favorite supporting characters was Paula, Marilyn's acting coach, played by Zoe Wanamker. In the film Paula looks a bit like famous cake maker Sylvia Weinstock. They are both petitie and rock enormous, round, black glasses that are almost cartoonish. Paula is the surrogate Jewish mother to a very unstable, insecure Marilyn.
I could go on and on about the incredible performances in this movie, but I'd also like to give mad props to the cinematographers. This film was so beautifully shot that I truly felt transported. Whether we were in the film studio, on the set or at Marilyn's house in the British countryside, I was totally captivated.
There is a long stretch of the film where Marilyn and Colin play hooky for the day at a lake. During those scenes I could feel the grass beneath my feet, the breeze against my face and the warmth of the sun from above. Bravo, team!
The only thing I found disappointing was my inability to know how accurate these performances are, because I wasn't alive in the 1950s when these events were happening. It's hard for me to know if Marilyn really talked like that, or if Laurence Olivier was an actor people really respected because I didn't actually live through it. I felt the same way when I saw "J. Edgar." I will have to accept that ignorance is bliss.
For those who will be renting "My Week With Marilyn" I strongly encourage you to watch the special features. There is a bonus package called "The Untold Story of an American Icon" where they interview not only the stars of the film, but also the director Simon Curtis. Below are some of the fun facts I learned from this bonus feature:
- Michelle Williams had a picture of Marilyn Monroe twirling through the trees hanging in her bedroom growing up
- Michelle says director Simon Curtis is her daughter Matilda's favorite director she has ever worked with
- Simon gave Daniel Radcliffe his first job in "David Copperfield" before he even auditioned for "Harry Potter"
- Simon handed picked Eddie Redmayne to play Colin because he said he had the compassion, empathy and tenderness necessary to play this part
- Dame Judi Dench was real life friends with the woman she plays, Dame Sybil Thorndike
- Julia Ormand, who played Vivien Leigh, admitted she was grateful to be playing Vivien at 43 because she'd be too intimidated to play her in her 20s
- Dougray Scott confessed he was super nervous to play famous American playwright Arthur Miller, even though the part required only a few lines. He also shares that "Death of a Salesman" was the piece of work that made him want to become an actor
If you haven't seen "My Week With Marilyn" yet, make it your next rental and save an extra 15 minutes for the special features! Now I want to rent some of Marilyn Monroe's original films. Any suggestions?
*Images courtesy of Aceshowbiz.com, Flossieonfilm.wordpress.com, Guardian.co.uk, Moviefanatic.com, Myweekwithmarilynmovie.com, Welovecult.com and Womanaroundtown.com.
