My Week With Marilyn

As I started typing this up, I suddenly realized that I shouldn’t be reviewing this film. Not because I’ve never seen Marilyn Monroe in anything (not even Some Like It Hot), but because I’m an Anglophile, and Michelle Williams is the only American star in this. So I was too busy going “It’s Hermione!” and “It’s Mr. Carson from Downton Abbey!” (he was on screen for like, 30 seconds, which tells you my mindset right there) and “Dominic Cooper’s American accent is better than in Captain America,” to pay attention to the movie.

Emma Watson’s wardrobe is adorable though

That being said, I think it’s a well-cast and well-acted film, even if the story is rather standard when you boil it down – big-named actress having an affair with a nobody, bittersweet blah blah blah. I know there was some griping when it was first announced that Michelle Williams was cast as Marilyn Monroe, but in my opinion she did a really good job. I wouldn’t go so far to say that she nailed it – physically she’s almost perfect, but performance-wise, at least in the beginning, she’s a bit outshone by her fellow actors. Maybe I was simply being distracted by all the Brits.

Eddie Redmayne is good, but the chemistry between him and Michelle Williams isn’t amazing or anything, so something about their relationship feels a little flat to me. Kenneth Branagh has so much more presence and charisma that sometimes it can be a little uneven as to who’s the lead and who’s not.

OK, that came out more negative than I intended. It’s still a good movie overall, and I quite enjoyed it. It just doesn’t resonate with me as much as it could have. Not sure if my lack of knowledge about Marilyn Monroe plays a role, but I doubt it. I know next to nothing about George VI, and I still love The King’s Speech (of course, the fact that it was like a Pride and Prejudice reunion, with Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle and David Bamber, helps. See? Anglophile.)

Photos courtesy of Cinema Blend and CinemaGia

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