Duration: 99 mins
What's more is that Dame Judy Dench
is painfully underused, with her inclusion feeling a tad insulting and begs the
question: why is she even there? In fact, none of the characters come close to
actually engaging and emotionally capturing its audience, even during Monroe's
darkest scenes: we see a woman who is unsure of herself, but also comes across
as both a naive, yet manipulative sexual figure.
★★
Much hype has surrounded the release
of Simon Curtis's début, which focuses on the troubled
portrayal of one of the 20th Century's most iconic figures and how
Michelle Williams handles the massive responsibility of fulfilling the
legendary role.
Funded by the BBC, My Week
with Marilyn in based around the on-set events of the 1957
feature The Prince and the Showgirl – a feature directed by and
featuring Laurence Olivier (played by Kenneth Branagh). Reworked from the
diary entries from the production’s 3rd Assistant Director, Colin Clark (Eddie
Redmayne), we follow the relationship that forges between the fresh-faced AD
and the ever-pressured Monroe in what feels very much like a BBC drama. So much
so, it wouldn't feel out of place being broadcast on a Sunday evening slot on
said channel, so you can imagine the underwhelmed nature it imposes on the big
screen.
A period piece that works with a
modest budget of little over £6m is commendable, yet it rarely convinces in set
up: the locations (bar it being filmed in Pinewood Studios where the original
Olivier/Monroe film was actually shot in) merely offer a whiff rather than full
on conviction in comparison to The King's Speech for example. A lack of
atmosphere therefore renders it a little stale, relying solely on the
capabilities of the actors to carry the already character reliant script.
For Williams - having become one of Hollywood's most talented female leads with acclaimed efforts in Brokeback Mountain and Blue Valentine – it would seem the weight really is on her shoulders whether the picture floats or sinks. For what it's worth, she gives a noble performance bearing a striking similarity at times, as she nails the iconic mannerisms, yet one cannot help but find the portrayal a semi-parody, or at least unintentionally, due to the sheer amount of impersonations and recreations the world has seen over the years.
Kenneth Branagh perhaps offers the
most accomplished function as the tyrannous Olivier as he shows a range from
calm, broodiness to erupting anger: an Oscar nomination will
surely hither his way via a support nod. However, the rest of the cast,
including Redmayne as Colin Clark, are limp and largely unlikeable in
nature. Never do we find ourselves sympathising with his plight over having
to chose between blonde bombshell or lowly wardrobe assistant Emma Watson (complete
with dodgy fringe), as it's confirmed that she simply needs more acting
lessons to be taken seriously.
The majority of the film runs at a
gentle and typical period drama pace considering the nature of its
context: overly romanticised and cheesy scenarios raise the cringe factor with
a sensibility that doesn't bare much weight in today's world. Admittedly, the
mundane events that gradually unfold are acknowledged as non-fiction,
but the fact that Emma Watson's Lucy is
completely fabricated suggests that the memoirs of Clark were even more
laboriously dull than what we see on screen.
Sure to please some audiences and
quite possibly enthral die-hard Monroe fans, My Week with Marilyn plods
along with a weak and frankly uninspiring narrative that feels far longer than
its 99 minute runtime. The biggest problem isn't Williams’ attempt to recreate
Marilyn Monroe, but the fact that everyone around her lacks any depth,
likeability or redeeming qualities therefore makes the entire concept very difficult to care
about and engage with. An Oscar nod for Williams is a cert, but whether she
should win based on the film’s merit is another matter entirely.
