Official Movie Website Theatrical Release 11/23/2011 Home Video Not Available MPAA Rating Rated R for language Running Time 96 Minutes Genre Drama Director Simon Curtis Writer Adrian Hodges Cast Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Dominic Cooper, Emma Watson, Julia Ormond, Dougray Scott, Zoe Wanamaker, Toby Jones, Philip Jackson, Geraldine Somerville, Derek Jacobi, Simon Russell Beale Studio The Weinstein Company |
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (2011)
SYNOPSIS
In the early summer of 1956, 23 year-old Colin Clark
(Eddie Redmayne), just down from Oxford and
determined to make his way in the film business,
worked as a lowly assistant on the set of 'The Prince
and the Showgirl'. The film that famously united Sir
Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and Marilyn
Monroe (Michelle Williams), who was also on
honeymoon with her new husband, the playwright
Aurthur Miller (Dougray Scott). Nearly 40 years on, his
diary account The Prince, the Showgirl and Me was
published, but one week was missing and this was
published some years later as My Week with Marilyn -
this is the story of that week. When Arthur Miller leaves
England, the coast is clear for Colin to introduce
Marilyn to some of the pleasures of British life; an
idyllic week in which he escorted a Monroe desperate
to get away from her retinue of Hollywood hangers-on
and the pressures of work. -- (C) Weinstein
In the early summer of 1956, 23 year-old Colin Clark
(Eddie Redmayne), just down from Oxford and
determined to make his way in the film business,
worked as a lowly assistant on the set of 'The Prince
and the Showgirl'. The film that famously united Sir
Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and Marilyn
Monroe (Michelle Williams), who was also on
honeymoon with her new husband, the playwright
Aurthur Miller (Dougray Scott). Nearly 40 years on, his
diary account The Prince, the Showgirl and Me was
published, but one week was missing and this was
published some years later as My Week with Marilyn -
this is the story of that week. When Arthur Miller leaves
England, the coast is clear for Colin to introduce
Marilyn to some of the pleasures of British life; an
idyllic week in which he escorted a Monroe desperate
to get away from her retinue of Hollywood hangers-on
and the pressures of work. -- (C) Weinstein
© 2003 St. Louis Movie Review Weekly. All rights reserved, except where indicated.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
| ST. LOUIS MOVIE REVIEW WEEKLY |
Ever since Norma Jean the sexy blonde bombshell became Hollywood’s Marilyn Monroe the entire
country has been smitten with this tragic beauty; even after her death at just 36 in 1962 Marilyn is still
making an impression on people of all ages today. My Week with Marilyn is a film based on a
documentary written by Colin Clark himself documenting his time on set with the astounding Marilyn
during the filming of 1957’s The Prince and the Showgirl. Colin Clark (played by Eddie Redmayne) who
caught a break as third assistant director on the film The Prince and the Showgirl staring Hollywood’s
blond bombshell (Oscar Nominated Michelle Williams), Clark was immediately drawn into the stars
mesmerizing downward spiral. The film showed Monroe through Clark’s 23 year old eyes and while this
film is not a film directly about Monroe the audience is able to get a glimpse of the real Marilyn Monroe,
filled with insecurities and self-doubt. When she first hits the set she is a mess: forgetting lines,
screwing up takes, aggravating her costar Sir Laurence Olivier (played by Kenneth Branagh) and unable
to find her characters motivation; however, by the end of the film Olivier is strangely compelled by the
beauty and impressed by her performance. The only person able to tame the distraught Monroe is Clark
and she insists that he is available whenever she needs him. Olivier, who just wants to complete
filming, allows the young “gopher” to attend to Monroe since he seems to be the only one who can get
her to arrive on set. Even against the warnings of others who have previously fallen for Monroe’s antics,
Clark is swept into the crazy world of Hollywood’s largest star. The brilliant performances by Williams,
Branagh, Redmayne, Judi Drench (who plays Dame Sybil Thorndike), and Julia Ormond (who plays the
jealous Vivien Leigh) seem completely effortless and allow the movie to flow at a nice pace.
Screenwriter Adrien Hodges did such an exceptional job converting Clark's book into a feature length
film that it’s easy to see how a young man like Clark would fall for this beautiful disaster and the
performance by Williams is so pure that the audience gets the pleasure of falling for her too.
country has been smitten with this tragic beauty; even after her death at just 36 in 1962 Marilyn is still
making an impression on people of all ages today. My Week with Marilyn is a film based on a
documentary written by Colin Clark himself documenting his time on set with the astounding Marilyn
during the filming of 1957’s The Prince and the Showgirl. Colin Clark (played by Eddie Redmayne) who
caught a break as third assistant director on the film The Prince and the Showgirl staring Hollywood’s
blond bombshell (Oscar Nominated Michelle Williams), Clark was immediately drawn into the stars
mesmerizing downward spiral. The film showed Monroe through Clark’s 23 year old eyes and while this
film is not a film directly about Monroe the audience is able to get a glimpse of the real Marilyn Monroe,
filled with insecurities and self-doubt. When she first hits the set she is a mess: forgetting lines,
screwing up takes, aggravating her costar Sir Laurence Olivier (played by Kenneth Branagh) and unable
to find her characters motivation; however, by the end of the film Olivier is strangely compelled by the
beauty and impressed by her performance. The only person able to tame the distraught Monroe is Clark
and she insists that he is available whenever she needs him. Olivier, who just wants to complete
filming, allows the young “gopher” to attend to Monroe since he seems to be the only one who can get
her to arrive on set. Even against the warnings of others who have previously fallen for Monroe’s antics,
Clark is swept into the crazy world of Hollywood’s largest star. The brilliant performances by Williams,
Branagh, Redmayne, Judi Drench (who plays Dame Sybil Thorndike), and Julia Ormond (who plays the
jealous Vivien Leigh) seem completely effortless and allow the movie to flow at a nice pace.
Screenwriter Adrien Hodges did such an exceptional job converting Clark's book into a feature length
film that it’s easy to see how a young man like Clark would fall for this beautiful disaster and the
performance by Williams is so pure that the audience gets the pleasure of falling for her too.
By Brenda S. Ladd