Not only is Michele Williams one of our finest film actors (Wendy and Lucy, Blue Valentine, Brokeback Mountain), but she has the courage to play that icon Marilyn Monroe. And she does so in a dazzling performance. Williams so inhabits the persona of Marilyn that we suspend recognition of the physical differences between the two.
My Week with Marilyn is about a young man observing the encounter between Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) during the making of the 1957’s The Prince and the Showgirl. That movie starred and was directed by Olivier, who expected a high level of craft, promptness and professionalism from all actors. Naturally, Marilyn, with all of her neediness, professional unreliabilty and reliance on The Method, was a bad fit.
Williams perfectly tunes in each frequency of the Marilyn dial, from the terrified, insecure actress to the confident sex symbol. There’s a great moment – after we’ve already seen her as troubled, flirtatious, needy, mischievous and, above all, lonely – where she announces that she will become “Her”; she flips an inner switch and becomes the Marilyn sex symbol persona, delighting a crowd of regular folks.
The underrated Zoe Wanamaker has a great turn as Marilyn’s Method acting coach. Judi Dench is perfect as a kind veteran actress. Emma Watson (so good as Hermione in the Harry Potter films) has an unfortunately tiny role as a non-wizard young adult. Dougray Scott, Dominic Cooper, Julia Ormand and Toby Jones fill out the great cast. Wanamaker, Scott and Jones play American characters flawlessly.
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