Yay, at last a film I actually wanted to see! This has to be the simplest out of the three so far, but it has been the most enjoyable. I'm not sure what that says about me. Anyway, this is a really lovely film. The acting is superb, the cinematography is glorious and its really well written. There isn't as much substance to it as Shame, which was throwing symbolism at the audience, and it's not as long and boring as J.Edgar, but it is a well made film and I would reccomend to anyone who's interested.
The best films about famous dead people, I have found, are the ones that focus on a single event or aspect of that persons life. While this isn't always the case, and there are exceptions to both sides, this film is is definitely one that works well. Instead of trying to tell the detailed story of Marilyn Monroe's life, instead we are given a "montage" of the time she flew to England to star in The Prince and the Showgirl with Laurence Olivier, narrated by his third assistant director, Collin Clark, who kept a diary during the shoot. This is a very effective way of telling the story, as Marliyn's private life was very much in shadows while she was alive. But you can instantly tell that this was based on a diary, because in every scene Collin is there, showing that all this is from his perspective. This may account for the melodramatic acting and scenes that occur sometimes, usually at the hands of Kenneth Brannagh.
Marilyn's past is not exactly addressed. There are lots of hints to the tough childhood she had, mainly through little phrases here and there in the script. Match this with Michelle Williams' amazing acting, and the end result is truly astounding. Williams actis the pants off everyone on the screen, looking and recreating Marilyn as if she were alive again. She has subtlety and depth, and especially the recreated scenes from The Prince and the Showgirl. You really do end up believing that she is in fact Marilyn and the actress disappears.
With the other actors and characters, Judi Dench is of course brilliant. Though none of the other characters are in it as much as Marilyn and Collin, each of them do leave a lasting impression. Except for Emma Watson, whose part is so small she may not have even been in it. The rest of the roles, even the small ones, are made up of those faces so familiar to British film and TV. Toby Jones, Zoe Wanamaker, Derek Jacobi (just to name a few) all pop in and out. The only real problem I have with this is that all the other characters are so looked over in favour of Marilyn, but I suppose that happened because it is meant to be more of memoir film and the narrator was mostly concerned with Marilyn herself. Dominic Cooper's accent however, is quite awful at times. His voice moves all over the place and he comes off the worst out of the bunch.
But Kenneth Brannagh is really the one who overacts the most and the best in this film. Playing Olivier, he relishes the role and you can tell he is having the most fun out of all of the cast. Newcomer Eddie Redmayne is also good as Collin. He's sweet and kind, and you can see his character grow in confidence throughout the film.
And that's it really. No seriously. Like I say, this isn't a complicated movie, there isn't that much substance or symbolism, the acting is amazing and the script is hardly cliched at all. I know this may seem like a short review, but there isn't really that much more so say. But I will say this. Actors should see this film. They should see it to find out how to successfully portray a real person, they should see it to find out how to overact with out becoming laughable. They should also see it as a warning to not let fame rule someones life, and to not create a character that you can't live up to.
That's it from me. Go and see it! NOW!
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