The hype around the fictional biopic, Blonde, the life of Marilyn Monroe, was epic.
The trailer was mind-blowing. Ana de Armas as Marilyn was spot on. The look, the behavior, and the voice are all very reminiscent of the late great actress. The hype around this picture was growing steadily, especially following the reception it received when it screened at Venice Film Festival. It is rumored the audience stood and applauded for over 11 minutes.
But was all the hype worth it? The key takeaway is that the movie is a fictional look at the life of Marilyn Monroe, a creative interpretation.
Bobby Cannavale plays the Ex-Athlete, and Adrien Brody plays the Playwright. Their portrayals are eerily similar to the numerous characterizations of Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller. The only difference is that Marilyn continually refers to each romance as Daddy and not by their actual name. This could have to do with the estates of Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller objecting to the representation on the screen.
Blonde is based on a book by the same name written by Joyce Carol Oates. It is widely regarded as a novel that presents a fictionalized take on the life of Marilyn Monroe. Unfortunately, the film could have been presented in a way that allowed viewers to understand that the story wasn’t factual.
The film’s premise is a little obscure, with moments of her real-life peeping through.
As a child, Norma Jean lived with her mother, Gladys (Julianne Nicholson), until her mother had to be hospitalized, and young Norma Jean ended up in a foster home. Fact.
Norma Jean’s mother did work at a studio. She was an excellent stable parent early on in Norma Jean’s life, but things quickly went downhill. She spent most of her childhood and teenage years bouncing around various foster homes. Fact.
Changing her name to Marilyn Monroe, a young blonde Marilyn had numerous relationships with powerful men after her divorce from her first husband. These relationships helped to build her career and professional network before landing a six-month contract at 20th Century Fox. Fact.
But that is where the facts stop, and fiction flood in to present a narration that Marilyn often viewed herself as a victim of her difficult upbringing. The film also hints that she is constantly searching for her birth father and needs undying approval from a mother who was hospitalized. There is also the continual theme that Marilyn was desperate to become a parent, so much so that she had conversations with numerous unborn babies.
Director Andrew Dominik has developed a story that leaves many Marilyn Monroe fans shaking their head. During the US publicity trail, he was quoted as saying, “Does anyone still watch her films?”. A tongue in cheek comment, but it did nothing to quash the running criticism of the film.
The performances by the leading actors are genuinely outstanding.
Ana de Armas as Marilyn will leave you in awe, and the resemblance will stop you in your tracks. The mannerisms and voice are remarkable, and you feel you are watching the real Marilyn perform on the screen.
As the brutish Ex-Athlete, Bobby Cannavale is captivating in his characterization of Joe DiMaggio. There are moments where you can feel the jealousy oozing out of the screen. The particular scene is where the ex-athlete feels drawled by the world-famous actress who draws thousands of fans to watch steam from a subway vent blow up her cotton skirt.
Adrien Brody, as Playwright, is bringing the stereotypical traits of Arthur Miller to life. He looks absolutely nothing like a famous writer. Still, the performance is memorable and a standout in this problematic film.
Blonde is a tough film to watch if you are a fan of Marilyn Monroe. But it is a fictional story of a woman who went from trauma to trauma throughout life and constantly searched for a missing father. Then Blonde is an interesting film.
It is just unfortunate the film tries to sell itself as a presentation of the life of one of the world’s most famous blondes.
Blonde is currently available to stream on Netflix.
