"Loneliness was tough
The toughest role you ever played
Hollywood created a superstar
And pain was the price you paid
And even when you died
Oh, the press still hounded you
All the papers had to say
Was that Marilyn was found in the nude."
"Candle In The Wind"--Elton John, 1973
By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
There have been several films, documentaries and even songs about Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. The latest movie is
"Blonde" and it is currently streaming on
"Netflix."
"Blonde," from director/screenwriter
Andrew Dominik ("Killing Them Softly"), is an adaptation of
Joyce Carol Oates’ 2000 novel of the same name.
The movie, much like Monroe's life, is dark, gritty, and depressing. Yet, "Blonde," which earns its NC-17 Rating, is also fascinating largely because of the superb performance from
Ana de Armas ("The Gray Man") who plays the sexy, blonde bombshell Norma Jeane/Marilyn Monroe.
It will be interesting to see if de Armas is shown any awards consideration, particularly an Oscar nomination for "Best Actress," or if "Blonde" might be too much to make the cut.
In a recent interview with
The New Yorker, Joyce Carol Oates discussed her book and the movie and stated that she didn’t “have any particular feelings” about the rating but added that “the real things that happened to Marilyn Monroe are much worse than anything in the movie, Oates said. “It’s not a feel-good movie. Many films about Marilyn Monroe are kind of upbeat and have a lot of music and singing. She’s very beautiful and sweet. This one is probably closer to what she actually experienced. The last few days of her life were brutal."
"Blonde" doesn't shy away from much of that brutality either, which starts with the frightening relationship young Norma Jeane (a striking, Lily Fisher, TV's "General Hospital") had with her mentally unstable mother Gladys (a dynamic Julianne Nicholson, "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story").
Her mother informs Norma Jeane that the picture hanging on the bedroom wall is of her father. Norma Jeane is hopeful that one day he will visit her. Then a fire breaks out near their home forcing them to evacuate. However, when Gladys tries to explain to a police officer that she's headed to see someone who is special, it gets her nowhere and she has to turn around and leave.
Gladys nearly drowns little Norma Jeane in their bathtub, but fortunately the kid manages to get away and runs to a neighbor Miss Flynn (Sara Paxton, "Barbarian") for help. That leads to the next phase of heartache that Norma Jeane endures since Miss Flynn and her husband decide to take her to an orphanage.
Time passes and now an adult, Norma Jeane (de Armas) is still looking for happiness and someone to cling too. Her gorgeous looks don't go unnoticed. She gets a bit of work as a model and slowly is introduced to the right/wrong people including a studio exec that "breaks" her into show business.
It is one of many forms of abuses that Monroe endures throughout her life. There are the sexcapades with men like Cass (Xavier Samuels, "Elvis") and Eddie (Evan Williams, TV's "Westworld"), who are the sons of Charlie Chaplin and Edward G. Robinson. There is also the big affair with John F. Kennedy, referred to here as “The President." He is played by Caspar Phillipson, (TV's "The Orchestra").
"Blonde" also dives deep into Monroe's tumultuous marriages to baseball star, Joe DiMaggio, (an excellent Bobby Cannavale, TV's "Human Resources") and playwright Arthur Miller, (another star turn from Adrien Brody, "See How They Run").
"Blonde," which clocks in at a hefty 166 minutes long is a shocking movie. Despite its excessive length, which is my only complaint regarding it, "Blonde" is an exceptionally well made, artistic endeavor. Andrew Dominik captures Monroe's life in graphic detail transitioning between stylish color and black-and-white, imagery which makes this film even more powerful and riveting.
"Blonde" is currently streaming on Netflix.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Look At This Trailer For
"BLONDE"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.