My Week With Marilyn (Simon Curtis, 2011) USA
Reviewed by Sofia Nagel. Viewed on DVD.
In My Week with Marilyn, Michelle Williams channels Marilyn Monroe’s loneliness and vulnerability as well as her intelligence. As a sex symbol emulated by generations of women, it is easy to forget Monroe’s darker side and how she stumbled toward her demise in stilettos. How does an actor learn to capture a character as complex as Monroe? Michelle Williams was quoted as saying it was terrifying, that she felt as though she was in “free fall” the entire time. Monroe placed paramount importance on her acting coaches, first Natasha Lytess, and later Lee Strasberg, who were both instrumental in her journey to becoming a star. “I want to grow and develop and play serious dramatic parts,” Monroe told The New York Times in 1953. “My dramatic coach, Natasha Lytess, tells everybody that I have a great soul, but so far nobody’s interested in it.”
Marilyn Monroe’s style was inimitable–from the sheer rhinestone-studded dress she was sewn into to sing happy birthday to President Kennedy, to the infamous white halter dress she wore while standing on a manhole in The Seven Year Itch, to ultimately being buried in a Pucci dress. Style is a form of expression and a way of getting into character. Michelle Williams, with the assistance of pads on her hips, is able to accurately portray Monroe as a sexual woman-child. She resonates an air of innocence yet her need for resilience is evident. The wardrobe in My Week With Marilyn is beautiful and assists in bringing her character to life. As Marilyn Monroe put it, “Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she can conquer the world.” In My Week with Marilyn, Emma Watson portrays Lucy, a wardrobe assistant who dresses Monroe in all of her incarnations. Despite the small role, Emma Watson brings her confidence and quick wit to the character.
Marilyn Monroe exuded an air of naivety and innocence that made a man’s desire to shelter a woman surface. Yet there were many men who exploited her. Monroe had many lovers, always seeking something that she could only find within herself: strength. Colin Clark, the love interest of Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn, played by Eddie Redmayne, captures a young man in love perfectly. He idolizes her, loves her spontaneity, and falls quickly. Michelle Williams exudes the same sensuality as Marilyn did. Monroe is quoted as saying,A woman can’t be alone. She needs a man. A man and a woman support and strengthen each other. She just can’t do it by herself.” In acting, it’s vital to know who you are and to have resilience. Many people say, if you can do anything else at all, do it; if your only talent is acting, then you do it. I highly recommend this film if only for the sheer purpose of seeing another side of Marilyn Monroe.
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