The new Netflix film based on Joyce Carol Oates’ fictional account of Marilyn Monroe’s life has attracted controversy – here Emma Clarendon shares some of her thoughts on the trailer which has recently been released.
Years after her unexpected and tragic death, Marilyn Monroe remains a figure of fascination to many and this upcoming new film from Netflix offers a new (and entirely fictional) perspective. While many since the release of the trailer have questioned a number of things including Ana de Armas’s accent as Marilyn herself, why this film was felt deemed necessary to be made particularly when it is from a fictional perspective and why we can’t allow her to rest in peace.
Written and directed by Andrew Dominik, it is based Joyce Carol Oates’ novel of the same name to explore Monroe’s inner life – it is certainly to be a dark affair given the trailer that has been released. This is refreshing in a sense as for anyone who has read any biography about Marilyn, she had a difficult life and how this book and film deals with it perhaps is not the most accurate but we should still give it a chance with audiences. A lot of biogaphical films it could be argued are not always accurate and are given some artistic license and given it has been made clear this is not a biographical film a little leniency should be given.
The other charge laid at this film – is Ana de Armas’s portrayal of Marilyn Monroe, with people coming out and saying that a)she doesn’t look like her b)her accent is off. Now given the fact it would be difficult for any actor or actress to give a completely accurate portrayal – it does seem slightly unfair to judge her quite so quickly without seeing the whole film. Based on this trailer, I feel as though she captures the sense of loneliness and isolation that Marilyn felt perfectly in her mannerisms – yes it has been cleverly edited and has a feel of a dark noir film vibe about it but it also comes across as deeply psychological and engrossing to watch as well.
The other question is whether this film was really necessary to make and that Marilyn’s life has been exploited in so many ways by Hollywood. Yes I can see that point, but the fact of the matter is that it is based on a book – which again is not a biography. It is all about appealing to fans of the original book and potentially opening up the story for more audiences away from the page .Those interested in Marilyn’s actual life will hopefully of course go and read one of the many books about her life.
How successful this film will be remains to be seen, but for my part – i’m intrigued to see what the film is like and will try and watch it with as much of an open mind as possible.
By Emma Clarendon
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