By Sam Rillstone
This week Sam looks at Netflix's Marilyn Monroe psychological biopic Blonde.
Directed by Andrew Dominik, the story follows Ana de Armas as Norma Jeane/Marilyn Monroe through her life from the age of seven through to her death at 36. The film also stars Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale and Xavier Samuel.
This film is R18 and deals with some very intense events and themes which will be touched on in the review.
And it is oppressively grim. Similar to Princess Diana biopic Spencer earlier this year, there are psychological thriller aspects in the film that are fictional events to illustrate Norma Jeane's environment and mental state.
There's elements of Stanley Kubrick particularly in the cinematography by Chayse Irvin. Lots of close-ups keep it claustrophobic while focussing on de Armas' performance and sparse wide shots show her isolation. Light is also used to show the haziness of her existence and mental state. Nothing is ever solid, secure or stable.
Tension wraps around every scene, squeezing tighter and tighter. Before the pressure releases momentarily. The idea is that Norma Jeane or Marilyn is constantly being watched either by others or her own psyche.
We don't always see who's talking to her in some scenes, as if we are forced to be the voyeur, adding to that notion of constant eyes.
De Armas is basically monologuing the entire film, and doing it amazingly. Her emotion is intense and she brings a real distinction between Norma Jeane and Marilyn. I would imagine there will be heaps of awards buzz for this performance already.
De Armas wears the character fully inside and out with her vulnerability and rawness, helped by amazing costuming by Jennifer Johnson. Many iconic looks from famous photos of Marilyn are sprinkled throughout the film.
But it's just unrelentingly grim. Of course Marilyn's story is a tragic one at points but I'm just trying to understand why this was so grim. Like what was the artistic motivation?
Marilyn isn't given the chance to be herself, to be warm or loving, to be a light in a pretty grim story. And like I say, of course her real life story had aspects of tragedy but this film doesn't show the other side which certainly existed.
You have to wonder why it was made. It highlights the brutality of multiple sexual assaults and the trauma that permeates survivors' lives. But this isn't really necessary or artistic, it's more just trauma porn.
There's not much point in biopics with fictional through lines or aspects. Biographical fiction is an oxymoron. If you're going to tell the story of someone, why would you add things that are untrue? It just makes for a bit of a recipe for mess. Of course the film never professes to be true events and reinventing a genre should be always welcome, but there are better ways than this I feel.
It has to be said that Ana de Armas is amazing in this. She gives her entire self to this titan of a role. It's just that the things happening around her are questionable.
So if you are up for almost three hours of constant trauma bombardment, albeit with a great titular performance then I'd say see what you think. But just know what the film is and that for me, it didn't make a huge amount of sense to be almost dehumanising Norma Jeane and Marilyn Monroe.
Though as always, do make your own opinion.
