Blonde – Movie Review
Director: Andrew Dominik
Writer: Andrew Dominik (Screenplay)
Writer: Joyce Carol Oates (Novel)
Cast
- Ana de Armas (Knives Out)
- Julianne Nicholson (I, Tonya)
- Adrien Brody (See How They Run)
- Bobby Cannavale (Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle)
- Garret Dillahunt (Looper)
Plot: A fictionalized chronicle of the inner life of Marilyn Monroe.
Runtime: 2 Hours 46 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Blonde starts as we see how a young Norma Jeane was abused by her mother before being placed in an orphanage. One Norma Jeane (Armas) grows up in Hollywood, she starts modelling before catching the eyes of the movie producers.
Changing her name to Marilyn Monroe, she becomes a superstar in the industry. Meanwhile, her mental health worsens as she doubts herself and questions who she really is.
Verdict on Blonde
Blonde is a biopic that explores the personal life and career of iconic superstar Marilyn Monroe. It shows the abuse she suffered as a child, which haunted her whole career. Highlighting the constant troubles with wanting to know who her father really was. It shows how she was used in her career and was never given the support she needed while reaching superstardom.
This shows how difficult her life was, in a way that we would never imagine seeing now. While some details feel like they are played up for more entertainment value, it doesn’t ever give us a chance to learn about the real Norma Jeane.
Ana de Armas is wonderful in the leading role, while the supporting cast is strong when they are used. We cover so much time, nobody gets too much time to be around Norma. In the end this is longer than it needs to be and doesn’t grab the magic of the tragic career of Norma Jeane.
Where to Watch: Blonde is available on Netflix.
Final Thoughts – Blonde has a strong leading performance but doesn’t feel as interesting as it should be.