My Week With Marilyn

Synopsis: In 1957, the “king” of British acting, Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) directs The Prince And the Showgirl with himself and Hollywood sex goddess Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) in the lead roles. Young film aficionado Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) inveigles his way into a job on the set, as third assistant director. For one brief week, while Monroe’s much older husband Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott) is away, Colin becomes a sort of protector and companion to the famous film star.

Based on Colin Clark’s memoir, possibly a starry-eyed one at that, it’s hard to be sure what is historically accurate about this story. Totally convincing however are two things: i) the experience of making a film with an impatient, brilliant actor (Olivier) directing a temperamental, unpredictable beautiful woman and ii) the mercurial nature of Monroe, an insecure woman who could change from sexuality personified to emotional vulnerability in the blink of an eye.

According to the plot, Olivier had his eye on Monroe, even though he had a gorgeous wife in the form of Vivien Leigh (an oddly-cast Julia Ormond). But Monroe’s youthfulness only serves to reinforce Olivier’s sense of aging whilst her incessant inability to remember lines, or be punctual only infuriates him. His wrath further fuels her insecurities. Her acting coach, Lee Strasberg (Zoe Wanamaker) is constantly there as support, but of most support is the young 23-year-old Colin, who seems to ask nothing of the star, but helps her escape the pressures of the set with a trip to the countryside, and, it is only hinted, possibly other distractions of a more carnal nature. Even though this is a mere diversion for the star, we sense that for Colin, Marilyn is the memorable first love of his life.

Redmayne is a fine young actor, hitting just the right tone in not being too forward or too retiring in his dealings with his idol. Also significant as Dame Sybil Thorndike, a kindly and generous soul, played to perfection by the inimitable Judi Dench. Young Emma Watson finally escapes the Harry Potter franchise (as Hermione) to play Colin’s real-world potential girlfriend, but little is made of this role.

Even though the week’s events are in themselves slight (albeit not in Colin’s eyes), what will make this film memorable is William’s gob-smackingly good performance, one for which she has already won a swag of awards including an Oscar nomination. Even though she is not a dead-spit look-alike for Marilyn, she channels the star's vulnerability and emotional instability, along with her breathy voice and flirtatious style to perfection.  We understand the dichotomy of the star’s life – that fame was a curse for her, especially being seen as nothing more than a sex goddess when she wanted to be taken seriously as an actress. But at the same time, that she revelled in the attention. 

Much is made of Marilyn’s use of pills, foreshadowing her untimely death, but it is shame that the basic focus of the film’s story is a bit too flimsy to give deeper insight into her torment. Regardless, My Week With Marilyn a must-see for William’s performance, an outstanding addition to her already notable body of work.

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