Even if it's not 100 percent true, the story of 23-year-old third assistant director Colin Clark and iconic movie star Marilyn Monroe circa 1956 is fascinating. Clark (played here by Eddie Redmayne) worked for Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh, who absolutely nails Olivier's cadence, if not his look) during the tumultuous filming of the Olivier-Monroe comedy THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL at Pinewood Studios, during which, according to his memoir of the period, Clark and Monroe (the breathtakingly good Michelle Williams) shared a close friendship and weeklong love affair.
Known primarily for his work in television, director Simon Curtis plots his tale simply and to the point, dropping in famous names who appeared in and around the production (as he should) and giving us a clear picture of just how Monroe's schedule--or lack thereof--put the production two weeks behind after one day of shooting. Her reliance on her possessive acting coach, lack of confidence in the face of Olivier's greatness, a new and already troubled marriage to playwright Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott), and a constant cocktail of drugs and alcohol that kept her in bed for prolonged stretches formed the perfect storm for disaster; and the film makes the case that her strong friendship with Clark helped to settle her, allowing for a funny and charming performance. But MY WEEK WITH MARILYN is about the journey, not the destination.
It's impossible to discuss this film without wanting to obsess on the uncanny performance Williams brings to Monroe. The voice, the walk, the facial expressions, they're all there. And while Williams ability to mimic Monroe is flawless, the more impressive sections of the movie are those where she reveals the conflicted nature of Monroe as a human being. She wants to be a "normal girl" and a good housewife to her new husband, but when the British paparazzi or fans swarm around her, she puts on the act and is helpless to stop playing Marilyn. Any male viewer of this film is likely going to fall in love and want to take care of this damaged woman.
As a lover of behind-the-scenes dramas, I was drooling over the recreations of Olivier's movie. Judie Dench plays Dane Sybil Thorndike, one of the stars of the film who never misses an opportunity to come to Monroe's defense or boost her confidence as Olivier verbally batters her for Marilyn's behavior on set. Also on hand in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN are Toby Jones and Dominic Cooper as two of Monroe's army of handlers, and HARRY POTTER's Emma Watson is around as a worker in the costume department, who begins dating Clark shortly before Hurricane Marilyn enters the picture. I was especially taken with Julia Ormond's portrayal as Olivier's wife, Vivien Leigh, the then-40-something actress who was very aware of her husband's obsession with Monroe.
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN moves briskly and is over before you know it, having filled the screen with funny, moody and occasionally traumatic moments centered around Marilyn's manic-depressive swings that are endlessly captivating. The film makes the point that the film Monroe made after this one was SOME LIKE IT HOT, implying that getting through the traumatic events of working with Olivier prepared her for arguably her finest performance. I'd go along with that, but you don't have to to enjoy the heck out of this movie. Come for the undeniably great performances, but stay to learn about this curious little corner of film history. Both reasons are good ones.
