Movie Review: My week with Marilyn

Written by Elka Schaimberg
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 12:26

DIRECTOR: SIMON CURTIS


STARRING: MICHELLE WILLIAMS, EDDIE REDMAYNE AND KENNETH BRANAGH

Based on the personal memoir of Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), My Week with Marilyn depicts the story of an inexperienced young man who manages to land himself the job of third assistant director on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl – the 1957 film that famously united superstars Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh)and Marilyn Monroe(Michelle Williams).

While they were shooting the movie, Marilyn’s marriage to Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott) was on the rocks, and Olivier was becoming increasingly frustrated with her tardiness and sub-standard acting abilities. Cue Clark, who stepped into an emotionally volatile situation to become Marilyn’s closest confidant on set. They spent an intimate week together in the English countryside, and an unlikely friendship unfolded between the movie-mad assistant and one of the most famous women on earth.

Williams is brilliant as Marilyn Monroe! She channels the sex symbol’s onscreen presence to perfection but also offers an intimate look into the lonely damaged woman behind her public persona.

As it’s based on a memoir, the film doesn’t have any pretensions to objectivity, but this doesn’t really get in the way. In fact, you almost feel compelled to watch as the star-struck Clark gets sucked into the dysfunction of one of the world’s biggest stars.