My week with Marilyn (Simon Curtis, 2011): UK / USA

Reviewed by Li Peyron. Viewed at the AFI Fest 2011.

My week with Marilyn was the one movie that I was most excited to see. I have always been fascinated by Marilyn Monroe, as the rest of the world, so this was an obvious choice for me at the AFI Fest 2011. But I have to say that I did get a little bit disappointed. It could have been a more interesting movie if they told a bigger story. This movie was basically just, as the title says, about Colin Clark´s week with Marilyn. I think it would have been more exciting and giving to get a bigger picture out of the notes that Colin wrote about Marilyn. Marilyn was as we all know a very special person, in every way. And I don’t think that really shines trough in this movie. It was more about Colin Clark then Marilyn Monroe to be honest.

The director in the film (Simon Curtis) did an excellent job capturing the magical about this time-period. The way he shot Michelle Williams face, to make it look just like Marilyn was incredible. As for the actors, there is no complaining. Michelle Williams came up on stage before the movie, along with Julia Ormond and Dominic Cooper who both has a part in the film, to present it. And she sure captured Marilyn Monroe perfectly. Eddie Redmayne who played Colin Clark did an excellent job playing the young boy who falls in love with Marilyn. I actually think I have a crush on him.

Colin Clark is 23 years old, soon to be 24. He is from a wealthy family who wants him to be a businessman. But he wants to “join the circus” as he call it. He wants to be doing film productions. So one day he decides to chase this dream by reaching out to some important people in the film-business. He soon finds himself on a movie-set with no other than The girl herself, Mrs Marilyn Monroe. It all starts out a little bit rough for Clark, as he learn that Marilyn isn’t the easiest to work with.

She starts to give the production crew a hard time by not showing up on time or by not remembering her lines. But when she do remember her lines, when she does her job correctly, everybody is so blown away by her talent and her way to seduce trough the camera.

Marilyn and Colin starts to get close, and Marilyn is using him more and more for comfort because of her bad marriage. Colin soon finds himself falling for Marilyn.

The most significant part of the film, for me, is the location. They really done a great job with the set. The little cottage that Marilyn stays in, the british style, the landscape and the little river they even captured. It was such a beautiful location that it just blew my mind.

When it comes to recommending this movie to an audience, I would definitely tell people to go and see it. It was a good and well done movie. But you have to see it as love-story rather then a movie about Marilyn Monroe, because although the movie is named after her, it wasn’t in fact all about her. It was more about Colin Clark. But as I said before, I love that kid so I will definitely go and see this movie when in comes out in November 2011.