Marilyn

Joyce Carol Oates has reacted to Blonde’s NC-17 rating, saying that what Marilyn Monroe really went through is “much worse” than anything shown in the film. The new Netflix psychological drama biopic starring Ana de Armas as the late Hollywood icon is based on Oates’ 2000 novel of the same name. Since its theatrical release, it’s received mixed critical reviews, with The Independent’s Amanda Whiting arguing that “Blonde isn’t a movie about Marilyn Monroe’s exploitation, but a new low watermark in Hollywood’s treatment of…

How should we assess writer-director Andrew Dominik’s adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’s historical fiction novel about the inner life of Marilyn Monroe? Some have viewed it as a biopic and judged it accordingly, worrying about its (lack of) fidelity to the known details of Monroe’s life, and attempting to evaluate how accurately or (un)fairly it presents her strengths and weaknesses, on and off screen. Others have interpreted it as a more expressionist portrayal of the gap between private and public personae – a generic…

Blonde begins with a hallucinatory prologue in which Death takes the form of a bicycle messenger threading his way through traffic to an address where the occupant is recorded as “MM”. Joyce Carol Oates’s “radically distilled” take on Marilyn Monroe’s life – a film of which comes to Netflix this month – delves deep into the actor’s early years when she was still called Norma Jeane, depicting a wretched childhood marked by a narcissistic, alcoholic mother; spells in an orphanage and a foster home; and marriage at 16. From…

Blonde, the new Netflix film from Andrew Dominik, adds as much nuance to the idea of Marilyn Monroe as can be gleaned from a gynaecological exam. The bombshell movie star has long been established as a tragic figure, a woman who was abused by Hollywood studios, her husband Joe DiMaggio, and, as a child, her unwell mother. Rather than challenge the conventional narrative, director Dominik’s nightmarish film, adapted from Joyce Carol Oates’s fictionalised 2000 novel, takes it somewhere even darker and even more invasive. If…

Ana de Armas paid her respects to Marilyn Monroe more than once while appearing as the Hollywood icon in Blonde.The 34-year-old Cuban-Spanish actor stars in the new Netflix movie based on Joyce Carol Oates’ novel of the same name.In a new interview with Variety, de Armas said that she struggled to move on from the role after filming wrapped.“I couldn’t say goodbye,” she said. “I couldn’t shake it off. I couldn’t let her go. I went to visit her at her cemetery a few times – I would have liked to go one more time.”Monroe is…

A surreal look at a tragic screen icon and a feisty interpretation of a Medieval teen tale are the film highlights of this week. Also sweeping into theaters on the winds of one eventful promotional tour is the much-discussed “Don’t Worry Darling” with Florence Pugh and Harry Styles. It screened too late for us to review. Here’s our roundup (we’ll review the Oprah-produced documentary on sidney Poitier next week). “Blonde”: Subtlety is nowhere to be found in screenwriter/director Andrew Dominik’s hypnotic, innovative and…

Ana de Armas and the Blonde crew went directly to Marilyn Monroe to get “permission” before starting filming. In the latest interview with Another Magazine, the actress revealed that she left a handwritten card on Monroe’s grave in Westwood Village Memorial Park on the first day of production on Blonde. Ana De Armas added, “We were asking for permission in a way. Everyone felt a huge responsibility, and we were very aware of the side of the story we were going to tell the story of Norma Jeane, the person behind this…

A 19-month sexual abuse investigation into Marilyn Manson by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has been sent to Dist. Atty. George Gascón for a decision on whether to file criminal charges against the singer.The Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Bureau, which handles sexual and physical abuse investigations, submitted its extensive investigation into the performer, whose real name is Brian Warner, on Monday for filing consideration. A search warrant was served at his home in November. “The incidents…

Ana de Armas details her extensive transformation into Marilyn Monroe for her new film, Blonde. In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actress said she spent three hours in the hair and makeup chair to portray the iconic character in the upcoming biopic. Talking about the physical transformation she underwent for the film, Ana De Armas said, “That was quite a journey every day. It was about three hours to get ready, every morning.” She continues to the outlet, “We have an incredible crew of my hair and…

Ana de Armas, who recently received an overwhelming response to her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in Blonde at the Venice Film Festival, says that her performance has also earned the approval of the person closest to the film. Ana strongly believes that Marilyn herself haunted the sets of Blonde and was happy with her portrayal in the film. The actor also said that Marilyn would get mad when she did not like something in the film. Also Read| Ana de Armas' Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde may 'offend everyone': directorAndrew…