Movie Review: My Week with Marilyn

So I might be disgracing lots of ladies my age (and older) by saying this, but I've never really seen Marilyn Monroe as a personal icon, as someone to emulate or even someone all that fantastic, really.  My interest in this movie was initially sparked out of a need to see Michelle Williams (whom I consider to be a much more fitting aspirational figure for myself) in her much raved about performance.  And I have to say that while Ms. Williams was indeed fantastic, the film did something I wasn't expecting, which was making a woman I've long considered overrated come across as both intriguing and sympathetic.

The thing that really jumps out at me about this movie is the phenomenal cast, full of British icons as well as new faces, all of whom absolutely excel in telling this story, and providing a snapshot of not only Marilyn's life, but the lives of those around her, and exposing the profound impact this one woman was capable of having on them.  Michelle Williams certainly adds new dimensions to Marilyn, including a strong awareness of the role playing demanded of her as a celebrity, but her admirer Colin (played by the charming and relative newcomer Eddie Redmayne) stands out as equally, if not more compelling.  Yes, his is a typical journey through the marshes of naivete and ensuing heartbreak, but he captures the spirit of it in a very honest, fresh way.  Of course, there are many supporting players who fill out the rest of the film, from Dominic Cooper and Emma Watson, whose respective presences are minimal but impactful, to Dame Judy Dench and Kenneth Branagh, who bring their usual level of skill and command of the screen.  Overall, this film needs its actors to carry the story, which covers only a brief portion of the tumultuous story of a very complicated woman, and the performers tasked with this have risen to the occasion.

My Week with Marilyn is not the film to watch if you're interested in Ms. Monroe's life story or an expose of the many scandals associated with her.  It isn't even, I would suggest, a film to watch if you don't have at least a minimal insight into the sort of person Marilyn Monroe was (or might have been).  The infamous instability of the woman at the center of this story is what drives it, and its nuances can be much more appreciated if you approach the film with this condition in mind.  And as far as awards season goes, I think this one is a contender, but a bit of a long shot.  Sure, I can easily see Michelle Williams winning the Golden Globe for this turn, especially separated as she is from some of the other heavily favored contenders, because this movie somehow got pushed into the 'Musical or Comedy' category.  However, I think there might be other better performances out there, and I certainly feel that Williams' performance in last year's Blue Valentine trumped this one by a hundred miles.  That said, there is every possibility she might earn a surprise "one year too late" Oscar nod (it's happened before: see Denzel Washington, among others), but for now it's anyone's guess.  And the film is not a likely favorite for Best Picture-- a nomination, maybe, even probably, but not a win.