Blonde

This isn't a biopic, it's a gorgeous, fever-dream, fictional retelling of Marilyn Monroe's life. Difficult to watch for some, this Netflix NC-17 movie deserves awards.

“A lie, sometimes, can be truer than the truth, which is why fiction gets written.” — author Tim O’Brien

There are a lot of opinions about an upcoming NC-17 movie on the life of Marilyn Monroe, set to stream on Netflix on Sept. 28.

Critics are uncomfortable with the liberties taken in Monroe’s story, saying it displays the exploitation she faced while exploiting her all over again. They say it’s not an accurate depiction of Monroe.

But there’s one thing they’re missing about Andrew Dominik’s film: This not a biopic. It was never meant to be. Its source material is a novel written by Joyce Carol Oates with a fictional version of Norma Jeane Mortenson (who takes on the famous pseudonym). Again, it’s based on a novel.

Actress Ana de Armas, of Cuban birth, has a slight accent in the lead role, but who cares? Some might find it distracting, but we aren’t going for complete accuracy in this two-hour and 44-minute fever dream. We’re going for feeling. And in that regard, Dominik’s movie soars triumphantly.

De Armas, by the way, is fantastic and deserves an Oscar nomination. She embodies the character with the breathy voice and the sultry, yet somewhat innocent and naïve, smile. She plays the character almost like a split personality between Marilyn and Norma Jeane, reminiscent of “Black Swan” in many ways.

The film starts off with spiraling sparks and cinders from a blaze, burning up Norma’s childhood and setting her on the path to become Marilyn. Her mother, expertly played by Julianne Nicholson, is deranged and dangerous, telling her fairy tales about her father, a man who is a generic handsome photograph on a shelf with no name. Marilyn obsesses about “daddy” and you can see that carry on into the rest of her life, allowing abuse to feel close to father figures.

Within the first 30 minutes, we see Monroe raped by a studio executive in a very brief, but uncomfortable, preview of what life is to come for the starlet. She’s treated like a piece of meat by press, directors, love interests and even the president (the graphic oral sex scene featuring Caspar Phillipson as JFK is likely the reason for the NC-17 rating).

What we end up seeing, I strongly believe, is a feminist story. Even though Marilyn never really overcomes her abusers, she doesn’t excuse them. And she gets the last laugh. With the exception of maybe JFK, her star shines brighter than all of the men who abused or ignored her. Even one of the greatest writers or greatest athletes in history can’t compete with an icon. Yes, there’s a lot of crying and a lot of nudity, but that’s the truth.

This a bold movie that couldn’t have been made without the #metoo movement. For more than a decade, Dominik has tried to get this movie made and previously had Naomi Watts and Jessica Chastain in the lead role. I think Ana de Armas was the perfect actress to bring this story to life.

Dominik chooses to not tell the story linearly and it jumps back and forth between black and white and color. At times, it’s difficult to tell what’s actually happening and what’s just in Marilyn’s head. Reporters outside of the premiere of “Some Like it Hot” are depicted with exaggeratedly large jaws, using special effects, as if each one were ready to devour Marilyn whole. This film, at times, reminded me of the works of David Lynch and Darren Aronofsky, especially “Mulholland Drive” and “mother!”

Every character appears to almost be an archetype rather than an impersonation. Bobby Cannavale plays the Ex-Athlete, meant to be Joe DiMaggio, but never mentioned by name. Adrien Brody plays The Playwright, mean to be Arthur Miller.

Bad Seeds duo Nick Cave and Warren Ellis create a haunting, dreamlike soundtrack for Dominik’s vision. Cinematographer Chayse Irvin, who previously did “BlackKklansman” and Beyoncé's “Lemonade” video, is another standout.

My favorite part of this movie might be the nearly exact recreation of so many famous photos of Marilyn Monroe. It’s eerie. Once dubbed, “The Most Photographed Woman in the World,” she’s the subject of so many iconic shots that I forgot I knew. Even if I didn’t place all of them, they lent a sense of familiarity to the proceedings. Again, it’s like watching a dream where it feels like something you’ve seen before and vaguely know but it feels slightly off.

Dominik’s ambition, at times, exceeds his grasp. Minor spoiler, but there’s a scene in which Marilyn receives a forced abortion and you get a POV view of the inside of her vaginal canal. Couple that with a scene depicting a conversation between her and her unborn fetus (yes, it talks back), and you have some slight cringe.

But at the end of day, I can forgive a few missteps in this aesthetic work of art. I can’t call it a masterpiece, but it’s one of the most challenging movies I’ve seen in 2022, which is a huge plus. Not everyone will like this movie. It’s not “Top Gun: Maverick” and that’s a good thing.

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”
― Marilyn Monroe