My Week With Marilyn (2011)

“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.”

            Ever since I saw Some Like It Hot as a kid I have never understood Marilyn Monroe’s appeal. Sure, now I like her in Some Like it Hot as well as Don’t Bother to Knock, and The Misfits but I still cannot for the life of me figure out why she is so loved, so popular, and such an icon. I guess I am of the minority of film lovers who does not understand her appeal nor even care to. The world is obsessed with her even fifty years after her death. Today you can turn on NBC at ten o’clock to watch the show Smash which is about the making of a musical based off Marilyn Monroe’s life (I do watch Smash I am obsessed with, not with the Marilyn aspect but for the fact that has a good story and some awesome music. Also I have a girl crush on Katharine McPhee!). To me if anyone says they like Marilyn Monroe I have to roll my because Marilyn is like the popular girl at school she is the one classic actress that everyone knows and they all over look the least popular (in today’s terms not in their times) actresses who had the most talent. I would love to do an experiment where I hold up a picture of an actress like Mary Pickford or Carole Lombard, an actress not a lot of people would recognize today, then hold up a picture of Marilyn. I could only hope that at least one person I asked would who Pickford or Lombard are.

            When I heard that a movie called My Week with Marilyn was coming out I wanted to throw something at the TV. Another damn movie or story about Marilyn Monroe the most over rated woman on the planet next to Audrey Hepburn? At this point after I have stated how much I cannot stand the actress you are asking yourself why on earth did this psychotic person watch this movie if they cannot stand Marilyn? Well, to answer your pondering, I was curious and my friend said it was not that bad (last time I ever listen to her!!)

            The film tells the story from the point of view of a young British man named Colin Clark. He weasels his way into getting a job with Laurence Olivier’s production company in London. The first film Colin is be an assistant on is Olivier’s (Kenneth Branagh) film The Prince and the Show Girl which is set to star Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) as the show girl who wins a grumpy old man’s heart. From the moment Colin sets eyes on the actress he is immediately attracted to her not only her beauty but her sadness, her cry for help, and her desperation to be liked.

            Colin becomes Marilyn’s assistant in some ways and becomes her trusted friend during filming. When she needs someone to comfort her she calls for Colin. Marilyn’s publicist tells the young man to back off but Marilyn finds a way to get to him. The publicist warns Colin that Marilyn will think he is the only one in the world for her and then when she is done will move on to somewhere and someone new and break his heart.

            Olivier is the director as well as the star of the film. The man was not really known for his kindness or patience and would get really frustrated with Marilyn always being late or not knowing her lines. Marilyn felt that Olivier did not really like her and belittled her acting.

            By the end of filming Olivier says that Marilyn has such a screen presence and could really be a big star. After The Prince and the Show Girl Olivier would star in a comedy on stage that is considered one of his performances and Monroe would make Some Like It Hot one of the best comedies films ever.

            The only thing I liked about the movie was Kenneth Branagh as Laurence Olivier because there were times where he looked and sounded so much like Olivier it was scary. He absolutely deserved to be nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar he was perfect. I felt terrible hearing that Vivien Leigh had played Marilyn’s role in the stage play but Olivier felt that at forty-three she was too old. Give me a damn break, Vivien Leigh even at forty-three was the most beautiful woman on earth. The only role I have ever enjoyed Michelle Williams in was Dick where she was a silly teenager along with Kirsten Dunst (one of the most hilarious movie ever!). I cannot believe that Williams was nominated for Best Actress her performance was crap. Emma Watson has a small role as a costume department assistant whom Colin likes but ignores as he becomes closer to Marilyn. Dominic Cooper is Marilyn’s American publicist Milton Green (playing an American when he is actually British… interesting). He was so hot! Watson and Cooper are like the only two actors in the film who can act and they were given small roles. Julia Ormond plays a very unconvincing Vivien Leigh in three or four scenes.

            In a review I read about the movie a critic called it My Weak with Marilyn. I have to agree with him, there is nothing interesting with this story nor is the filmmaking anything to brag about. There was nothing interesting about the film besides Kenneth Branagh’s performance. And I still do not understand what makes Marilyn Monroe appealing to so many people, if anything I cannot stand her even more. Unless you are on the Marilyn Monroe bandwagon I would skip My Week With Marilyn.