Community Corner
'My Week With Marilyn' Film a Must-See
The film that won actress Michelle Williams a Golden Globe should be on every movie-goers list, whether you liked Monroe or not.
I thought I’d pop into the for a matinee this past Wednesday and lo and behold, there was a long line.
I was thinking I’d be incognito and slip in and out but nope, there was a line of senior citizens standing to catch up on their favorite movies. The theatre offers a discount matinee to senior citizens on Wednesdays before 5:15 p.m.
There is also a nice little $3.50 snack combo offered that day. This makes me look forward to retiring in Laguna Niguel.
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I opted to see My Week with Marilyn starring Michelle Williams and co-starring Kenneth Branagh as Laurence Olivier. Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), an assistant to Olivier, wrote a memoir from the set of The Prince and the Showgirl, depicting the tension and havoc of that set. The film also showed us a great view of Marilyn Monroe's ability to swallow a man by her beauty and frail-fragile-childlike-charm. Yes, Colin fell in love and for a splendid frozen moment in time, he was her pillow.
At only 99 minutes, the film flashes by leaving you with images of Marilyn laying around in her infamous white bathrobe, naked in the bath, skinny dipping in the lake and frolicking with Clark in her garden. She teases and playfully makes you fall in love with her too, and when Clark’s heart breaks, so indeed does ours. There are a few sub-plots that create more color and depth with such incredible actors as Judi Dench, Julia Ormond, Zoe Wanamaker and Emma Watson.
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If a movie is supposed to give you insight into a character, then this movie has succeeded.
An exchange between Clark and Marilyn sums up the tension on set and sheds light on a truth when Marilyn asked Clark, “Why is Sir Olivier so mean? He talks to me as if he’s slumming.” And Colin’s response, “I’ll tell you what’s wrong. It’s agony for him because he’s a great actor who wants to be a film star, and agony for you because you’re a film star who wants to be a great actress. And this film won’t help either of you.”
On the contrary both Marilyn and Olivier went on to make many movie hits after their collaboration in The Prince and the Showgirl.
I give My Week With Marilyn four Patches out of five.
Playing Regency Rancho Niguel 8, 25471 Rancho Niguel Road
Call (949) 831-0446
1 hour, 36 minutes - Rated R - Drama
Show Times are at noon, 2:15 p.m., 4:45 p.m., and 7:15 p.m. Call to varify any changes.
