The story, based on Colin Clark's memories of being 3rd assistant director on the film, 'The Prince and the Showgirl,' shot in 1956, shows his view of the off-camera Marilyn Monroe. She found him the perfect go-between: to relay to her the scoop on the set, most importantly how the cast and crew actually felt about her, and to be her support when she couldn't trust her own 'people' to have her best interests at heart.. Meanwhile, Director/Producer/Star Laurence Olivier (Branagh) encouraged Clark, actually no more than a gopher on his first job, to do whatever she requested as long as she got her the set. What a dream come true for this impressionable, star struck young man. Still, he must walk the thin line between dual loyalties - production company and difficult star. He is far beyond his depths dealing with this worldly yet painfully innocent neurotic while hopelessly falling in love with her. He must maintain her confidences while keeping secret his intimacy with the most desired woman in the world. As for the daunting task of taking on the Marilyn Monroe persona, Williams seems to have used some kind of medium to have Marilyn inhabit her body, with few alterations. Williams tones down Marilyn's exaggerated diction, making her seem more human, and not just a caricature of herself. The mole on Marilyn's left cheek seems to have shrunk and faded as well -- less to distract from her flawless complexion. The voice itself, both in speaking and singing, is eerily Marilyn's, as are her gestures, facial expressions, and all iconic movements of the world's most famous movie star. Even after studying Williams' performance for 99 minutes, trying to find the actress behind the character, it was almost impossible for me to distinguish between the two in the photographs of Marilyn (actually Williams) over the closing credits. Not only is 'My Week with Marilyn' the best Marilyn impersonation ever, but it is a noble attempt to understand her inner spirit if not her psychology. It did not explore so much why Marilyn was so difficult to work with or what prompted her insecurities or depression (already studied in many documentaries about her), but it took an insightful look into the workings of the movie-making system that coddles, manipulates, and induces dependency in its stars -- the practice of sycophanticide (slow murder by dishonest over-flattering behavior mixed with drug dependency and forced isolation). Talk about enabling! How many times in this film was Marilyn told she was not only a great actress, but the greatest actress there ever was? The positive effects of such overblown rantings by her entourage were fleeting, only to be replaced by Marilyn with fresh bouts of self-absorption and melancholia. Laurence Olivier comments she was unfettered by any form of acting training which left her natural talent free to express itself. Actually, Marilyn was only able to play Marilyn, and due to her extreme self-consciousness and sense of insecurity, she found that almost impossible to do. How she worked when she was able to get a few scenes shot from time to time is not really explored. Instead, the audience, through Clark's perspective, gets an insider's look at the frail, unearthly spirit wrapped in a Goddess' body that was Marilyn. It's easy to consider 'My Week with Marilyn' a posthumous release of a new Marilyn Monroe film. This is a sympathetic look at an unloved beauty we have all been fortunate to know through her films, though, ironically, 'The Prince and the Showgirl,' was arguably one of her worst.
My Week with Marilyn
Director: Simon Curtis
Writer: Adrian Hodges from the book,'My Week With Marilyn' (2000) by Colin Clark
Cast: Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh, Emma Watson, Judi Dench, Julia Ormond, Dominic Cooper
Time: 99 min.
Rating: R
Opening Wednesday, November 23 at the Clay Theatre and the Metreon in San Francisco.
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