There have been several films that chronicle the life of legendary actress Marilyn Monroe, but it’s difficult to recall any that appear to treat her with such disdain as Andrew Dominik’s Netflix original “Blonde.”
I’ll say it like it is: the movie is cruel to her.
Before her tragic death at the age of 36 in 1962, Monroe’s “blonde bombshell” performances in films like 1953’s “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” 1955’s “The Seven Year Itch,” and 1959’s “Some Like It Hot” helped her become a sex icon. Please don’t watch this movie expecting a standard biopic recounting of her life if you don’t know anything about her.
Based on the Joyce Carol Oates book from 2000, “Blonde,” which debuted on Netflix on Wednesday, heavily dramatized Monroe’s life.
Monroe has little pleasure as she is abused by several men.
Monroe’s early years are seen in the opening. We follow little Norma Jeane (Lily Fisher), who was born Norma Jeane Mortenson, and her mother (Julianne Nicholson), as she starts to go insane and attempts to drown Norma Jeane in the bathtub. As a result, Norma Jeane is sent to an orphanage.
Monroe’s mother had paranoid schizophrenia in real life, and Norma Jeane did spend time growing up in foster homes and orphanages.
The narrative then fast-forwards to Norma Jeane about to change into Marilyn Monroe, and this is the first time we see Ana de Armas in the part.
Following a modeling career that included some nude poses, Monroe dyes her hair platinum blonde and attracts the attention of 20th Century Fox executive and Hollywood tycoon Darryl Zanuck (David Warshofsy).
His secretary gives the wannabe actress an awful glance as she brings a frightened Monroe into Zanuck’s office.
Zanuck doesn’t say much as Monroe talks. Simply getting up, Monroe is turned over, her panties is pulled down, and he starts having sex with her from behind.
The audience has previously seen several upsetting sequences involving Monroe’s mother’s breakdown, but this is the first instance in which Monroe is abused by a man. It won’t be the last either.
Monroe starts her assault on Hollywood that would eventually lead to her being one of the greatest stars of her period while still a contract actress at Fox, and one who is underpaid at that.
Dominik, who also directed “Killing Them Softly” and “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” gives Monroe little room for enjoyment.
Even while she’s viewing herself on a giant screen at a premiere, the obnoxious male manager sitting next to her keeps caressing her leg, ruining her delight. In this film, Monroe’s threesome with Edward G. Robinson Jr. and Charlie Chaplin Jr. (Xavier Samuel) brings her the greatest happiness (Evan Williams). an imagined scenario.
Dominik makes a strong case for how Monroe was devoured by the business and by celebrity culture in its infancy, which is accurate.
Because of her stunning appearance and, yes, her abilities, Monroe attracted both men and women, achieving a degree of popularity that many people still find difficult to manage.
Dominik doesn’t give the film much of a narrative thread, even if it has excellent production design, costume, make-up, and photography. Really, it’s simply a collection of scenarios stacked one above the other. The encounters Monroe has with the men in her life—from husband Joe DiMaggio (Bobby Cannavale) to President John F. Kennedy—are the most startling (Caspar Phillipson).
The most horrific scene in the film—and likely the reason it gets an NC-17 rating—sees Monroe enter a hotel room where Kennedy, who is wearing a back brace and talking on the phone while lying on his bed, compels her to perform oral sex on him very immediately.
When Monroe’s third husband, Arthur Miller (Adrien Brody), joins her life, they are the most tender moments in the film. Dominik, however, forbids her from even taking pleasure in that, and it is at this point that the actress begins to lose control.
In the film, Ana de Armas is captivating and deserving of an Oscar consideration.
Ana de Armas is the film’s savior, despite the fact that it is often excruciating to watch.
De Armas provides one of the greatest performances I’ve seen this year. De Armas is well known for her recent work in films including “Knives Out,” “No Time to Die,” and “The Gray Man.”
She changes fully into Monroe, not only in terms of appearance and demeanor but also in terms of voice. Even though it has been a source of debate ever since the movie’s teaser debuted, I was utterly captivated by what she said.
She will definitely be nominated for an Oscar for her efforts. It’s simply a pity that the majority of her performance is mired in suffering.