At first glance, My Week With Marilyn might seem like a behind-the-scenes look at a mostly forgotten movie that had its fair share of off-camera drama. However, a closer examination of the film reveals an incomplete study of icon-in-the-making Marilyn Monroe. Although still six years away from her 1962 death when she travelled to England to make The Prince and the Showgirl with Sir Laurence Olivier, Marilyn displayed many of the characteristics that would later damage her career and personal life. My Week With Marilyn chronicles the difficult process of getting the film made while exploring the enigma that was Marilyn Monroe at the height of her fame.
In 1956, Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) arrives in England to star in the film, but 23 years old third assistant director Colin Clark witnesses the clash of titanic egos and forms a brief intimacy with the emotionally fragile screen goddess.The 'my week' in director Simon Curtis' entertaining tale obsereves that Marilyn Monroe was a movie star who wanted to be a great actress, and Sir Laurence Olivier was a great actor who wanted to be a movie star. He ruefully concludes that The Prince and The Showgirl, a lack-lustre adaptation of Terence Rattigan's comedy The Sleeping Prince would serve neither's purpose.
Based on two books written by Colin Clark, it wasn't until the 1990's that Clark, who died in 2002, published the accounts of his time spent with Marilyn Monroe. His claims of a chaste love affair ring true and his portrait of the actress meshes with other accounts from that era. My Week With Marilyn is a fairly accurate take on Clark's experiences. However, although the narrative is presented from his point-of-view, this isn't his story.
Of course the hype surrounding the film centres on Michelle Williams' performance. Williams pretty much nails the three faces of of Marilyn in popular culture: little lost girl, sexpot and spontaneous actress. Marilyn's indefinable magic proves more elusive, but Williams does a good job shedding her own mannerisms to channel Marilyn's. Eddie Redmayne does a good job as the endearing Clark, his enchantment with Marilyn showing not just in the way he acts around her, but the way he shows it whilst everyone else is watching her.
There is rich irony in the casting of Kenneth Branagh as Olivier. For much of his professional career, Branagh has been compared to Olivier, so it's fitting he gets to play the part. The character is thinly-written - Olivier is third fiddle to Monroe and Clark - so Branagh opts more for mimicry than attempting to develop a three dimensional personality. Essentially Branagh steals the show. His desire for Marilyn turned to hot indignation with her chronic insecurites keeping troopers like Dame Sybil Throndike (Judi Dench) waiting around for hours for Marilyn to do a spot of acting. Whenever she does appear she is always accompanied by her method mentor Paula Strasberg (Zoe Wanamaker), whose coaching from the sidelines cranks up Olivier's rage.Eddie Redmayne is probably the least known member of the cast that also includes Emma Watson (an underwritten role as Clark's would-be girlfriend) and a cameo from Derek Jacobi, but he holds own. His portrayal of Clark feels gentle and unforced. On those occasions when he fades into the background, it's by design, for Marilyn to shine.
My Week With Marilyn is a sweet, slight affair that should have award nominations for both Williams and Branagh. Just don't go expecting a full blown autobiographical tale.
