My Week with Marilyn
Year: 2011
Director: Simon Curtis
Stars: Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, and Eddie Redmayne
Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment / The Weinstein Company
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 99 mins

Plot Synopsis:

I was very interested in seeing this film, especially with the hype surrounding it. “My Week with Marilyn” recently received two Academy Award nominations for Best Actress (Michelle Williams) and Best Supporting Actor (Kenneth Branagh). It’s based Colin Clark’s books "My Week with Marilyn" and "The Prince, the Showgirl and Me".

The film follows a young Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), who is determined to make it in the film business. He find his way, as an third assistant director for Lawrence Oliver’s (Kenneth Branagh) latest production “The Prince and the Showgirl“ Nothing would prepare him, when Marilyn Monroe ( Michelle Williams) arrives in London for the very first. During the production of the film, Olivier is having problems with directing her, while Clark become more intrigued by her. Things begin to change for him, when Monroe’s husband has to fly to Paris. Clark uses this, as a golden opportunity to get to know Marilyn and introduce her to a world outside of the celebrity lights. This experience with Monroe would change his life forever.

Film Review:

I really enjoyed “My Week with Marilyn” to the point where it would have been on my top 10 list, if I had seen the film last year. Director Simon Curtis does a very good job with the direction. There were two things that made his direction great. The first thing, Curtis does a very job keeping the story interesting his direction. I liked, how this film moves at a very good pace. Some films normally feel like that they have scenes that are there to just add to the running time and not feel relevant. You don’t get that here, as Curtis and his editor makes sure that the scenes serve a purpose to the story. They carefully makes sure that the scenes serve some purpose to the main character and the story. It makes the scenes interesting and your not left feeling bored.

The other thing that makes Curtis’ direction great, he’s able to make the performances work and make them the best things about this film. It’s tough, as this is low budget film, He carefully takes his time to get the performances that he needs and get his talent to be interested with the material. You need actors to make the characters interesting onscreen to make you interested with what your watching. He does that, as he gets excellent performances from Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, and Eddie Redmayne. They all had very good chemistry with each other, which made the dramatic action interesting. Both Williams and Branagh truly deserved their nominations for film, but I’m surprised that Redmayne didn’t get any real consideration for Best Actor. I truly think that his performance is what helps makes this film very good. He does a very good job with the way that he makes the character the focal point of the film, as you see the film though his character’s point of view. He should have gotten more consideration for his performance, as I thought that performance helped hold the glue together.

The screenplay written by Adrian Hodges does a very good job with making the screenplay interesting. One of things that this screenplay does well, it doesn‘t go off in many directions. I liked, the way that he tells the story from Clark’s point of view and keeps the focus on him throughout. You never get a sense that its fully about Laurence Olivier or Marilyn Monroe. It’s more about Clark’s experiences with each of these people during the filming of Olivier’s “The Prince and the Showgirl“. The other thing that makes this screenplay work for me, the fact that it develops the relationships that the main character with Monroe and Olivier. I liked, how Hodges goes into the encounters that Clark had with Olivier and Monroe. It makes everything interesting and your interested in Clark’s encounters with these two people. That what makes this story and Colin Clark interesting.

Blu-Ray Extras:

This is one of those rare cases with quality trumps quantity. First on the Blu-Ray is the audio commentary from director Simon Curtis. This was a very informative track, as he does a very good job going into the production of the film and history behind Clark’s memoirs. It provides some very interesting facts on how some of the film scenes were handled, which gave insight on the film‘s production. He also talks about the cast and how he handled the making this film giving the various schedules conflicts that he had to deal with. Overall, this a definitely worth a listen for those who loved the film.

The other extra on the disc is “The Untold Story of Marilyn Monroe“. This featurette goes into the making of the film. The featurette features the film’s cast and director talking about various aspects of the production, while also talking about some of the history surrounding the subject matter.

Final Summary:

“My Week with Marilyn” is one of those films that is must see for those who like the acting aspects of a film. The performances here keep you interested and entertained. It also has very good direction from Simon Curtis and an interesting screenplay. This is must for those, who are for something that will entertain and keep you glued to the screen.

Review Rating: Five Stars
Blu-Ray Extras: Three and a half stars

Anchor Bay Entertainment and The Weinstein Company recently announced the upcoming DVD and Blu-Ray release of "My Week With Marilyn". The film starring Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench was recently nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor.

Special features on the DVD and Blu-Ray combo pack include an audio commentary with director Simon Curtis and a “The Untold Story of an American Icon” featurette. "My Week with Marilyn" streets on March 13th.

Press Release:

Anchor Bay Entertainment and The Weinstein Company announced today the Blu-ray™ and DVD release of the “warm, wonderful and enchanting” (Rex Reed, The New York Observer) film, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN, starring three-time Academy Award® nominee Michelle Williams (BLUE VALENTINE), who is “flawless, brilliant and exhilarating” (Bruce Handy, Vanity Fair) in the iconic title role. Based on Colin Clark’s memoir, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN also stars Academy Award® nominee Kenneth Branagh (HAMLET) as Sir Laurence Olivier, Tony Award® winner Eddie Redmayne (THE GOOD SHEPHERD) as Clark, and Academy Award® winner Judi Dench (SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE) as Dame Sybil Thorndike.


The film’s principal cast is joined by Dominic Cooper (AN EDUCATION), Emmy® Award winner Julia Ormond (“TEMPLE GRANDIN”) as Vivien Leigh, Zoë Wanamaker (HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE), Emma Watson (HARRY POTTER series), Dougray Scott (MISSION IMPOSSIBLE II) as Arthur Miller, Toby Jones (FROST NIXON), and Derek Jacobi (THE KING’S SPEECH). From acclaimed director Simon Curtis (“CRANFORD”), MY WEEK WITH MARILYN heads to retail on March 13, 2012 for an SRP of $39.99 for the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and $29.98 for the DVD.


A strong contender this awards season, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN has received two 2012 Academy Award® nominations, including Best Actress in a Leading Role (Michelle Williams) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Kenneth Branagh). Williams won a 2012 Golden Globe® Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, while the film received nominations for Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Kenneth Branagh). Additionally, the film received two Screen Actors Guild Award® nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Michelle Williams) and Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Kenneth Branagh).


Rex Reed, film critic for The New York Observer, hailed MY WEEK WITH MARILYN as “Pure perfection!” In her review for TIME magazine, film critic Mary Pols wrote, “Michelle Williams captures Monroe’s mystique and humanity with uncanny accuracy.” Wrote Vanity Fair film critic, Bruce Handy, “Michelle Williams is flawless, brilliant and exhilarating. I can’t think of a better performance in the role of an icon.” Pete Hammond, film critic for Deadline Hollywood, described the film as “One of the most purely entertaining films of the year!” Finally, in his review for The New Yorker, film critic David Denby called the film “Charming and touching. Expertly made… Michelle makes the star come alive.”


During Marilyn Monroe’s (Michelle Williams) first trip to London to film The Prince and the Showgirl with Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh), she befriends Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), an ambitious 23-year-old Third Assistant Director on the set. As their relationship progresses, Colin’s focus shifts from making his way in the film business to rescuing her from the pressures of celebrity life. When Monroe’s new husband, playwright Arthur Miller, makes a brief trip to Paris, Clark takes the opportunity to introduce her to the world outside of Hollywood fame. Based on the true story by Colin Clark, this memoir describes a magical week in which Monroe opens herself up to a stranger and finds in him a confidant and an ally.


The MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD bonus features include an audio commentary with director Simon Curtis and a “The Untold Story of an American Icon” featurette. Note: Special features are subject to change.

Learn more about MY WEEK WITH MARILYN at: http://myweekwithmarilynmovie.com/

Another Marvel Comics hero finally breaks his way out of the Hollywood prison known as development hell! Getting us increasingly more pumped up for the long promised “Avengers” movie, “Thor” makes its presence known with thunderous abandon. Now like many comic books, “Thor” is yet another I haven’t read, so I can’t say how true it is to its origins. However, judging from the great Kenneth Branagh’s handling of the material, I imagine it’s very respectful and true to its source.

Heeding closely to classic Norse mythology, Thor is the god of thunder and heir to the throne of Asgard. But on the day of his ascension, the Frost Giants end up invading the planet’s deeper regions to retrieve the Casket of Ancient Winters, their source of power. They are easily defeated, but their violation of the truce put together between them and Asgard seriously pisses off Thor. Against his father’s wishes, he and his fellow warriors journey to the Frost Giants home planet of Jotunheim to keep some frosty ass. Odin however intervenes, and infuriated with his son’s arrogance, strips him of his powers and banishes him to Earth. For a warrior such as him, this does feels like a nasty insult.

First off, I got to say that I really liked the way Branagh handled this material. In the wrong way, this could have easily become high camp which would have been highly enjoyable for all the wrong reasons. But he takes all the characters and places they inhabit seriously, and infuses all of them with a strong humanity that defines them more than their place in the universe. Even the villains are remarkably complex as their corruption results not so much from a need for power but for a father’s love and approval. Of course, with Branagh directing, you can count on many Shakespearean references throughout (Iago from “Othello” and “King Lear” come to mind), and they are a perfect fit for this story.

I was also very impressed with how well Branagh handled the visual elements of “Thor.” The last time he made a movie heavy with special effects was “Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein,” but he seemed a bit out of his league there. Perhaps we should not be impressed as this movie of course has a budget that’s at least $100 million (not counting advertisement costs), but they key thing here is that effects succeed in being an extension of the characters instead of just dwarfing them completely. Then again, that giant creature the Frost Giants unleash on Thor immediately had Liam Neeson screaming in my head:

“RELEASE THE KRAKEN!!!”

As Thor, Chris Hemsworth (who played Captain Kirk’s father in J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek”) owns the role right from the moment he walks onscreen. He clearly revels in portraying the great power he possesses, and he is a gentleman when the situation calls for it. Seeing him as a fish out of water on Earth also makes for some splendid moments which are slyly comic. I’m also glad that Thor is not just another character who doesn’t want to be “the one,” conflicted about the things he is destined to do. With Chris, you know from the get go that he is fully aware he’s “the one” and owns that knowledge to where you feel his impatient eagerness to prove it to the universe. Instead of Anakin Skywalker as a whiny teenager, Chris gives us a powerful warrior worth cheering for and who learns from his mistakes.

As scientist Jane Foster, Natalie Portman’s casting in the role seems like such a no brainer. We know from her off screen life that she is a remarkably intelligent human being, so she doesn’t have to prove to us that she can be believable as a scientist. She sparks instant chemistry with Hemsworth (damn those six pack abs!!!), and that shy smile of hers kills me every single time. Right now, she appears to be overexposed since her deserved Oscar win for “’Black Swan,” but I’m not complaining about that in the slightest.

Then there’s the great Sir Anthony Hopkins whose portrayal of Asgard’s king and father to Thor, Odin, is in a word gallant. This is especially the case with the opening narration which he recites with such depth that it makes all other actors who’ve done it before him sound like they were sleepwalking their way through it. While many may think that this is one of those roles that Hopkins could do for an easy paycheck, it’s really one of the best performances he’s given in awhile and is a step up from such dreck like “The Rite.”

Tom Hiddleston plays Loki, Thor’s brother and the movie’s other main villain. What I liked about Tom is that he does so much more than give us a one-dimensional character. Much like Joaquin Phoenix’s character from “Gladiator,” Loki feels slighted by his father as he prefers another man over him, and he becomes eager to prove himself in the worst way possible. Hiddleston makes Loki into a character that is more spiteful than hateful, and this makes his eventual fate seem all the more tragic in retrospect.

There are other strong performances throughout this blockbuster affair to enjoy as well. Rene Russo, where have you been? Idris Elba makes a memorable Heimdall, and it never seems like a small part with him playing it. Kat Dennings steals a few scenes as Darcy Lewis, Jane’s co-worker whose science is more political than astronomical. And Stellan Skarsgård remains a dependable actor as always playing scientist Erik Selvig, a character who may play a more important role in the future.

Having said all that, “Thor” felt like it could have been more exciting than it was. It doesn’t quite have the same invigorating sweep as some of Branagh’s Shakespeare adaptations like “Hamlet” or “Henry V,” and it does feel like it takes longer to get to the action than it should. It’s not quite as entertaining as “Iron Man,” but I would rank it above “The Incredible Hulk.”

Still, there is much to like about “Thor,” and Branagh has done the best job anyone could have to bring this comic book hero to the big screen in such respectful fashion. It also benefits from excellent casting, especially Chris Hemsworth who looks like he came out of the womb a warrior with a heavy hammer in his hand. This is one of the few times where “getting hammered” will sound more like a threat than an embarrassing state of drunkenness.

Word of advice, be sure to stay through the end credits. I’m sure many of you already planning to do that knowing how the “Iron Man”’ movies and “The Incredible Hulk” ended, but I do feel the need to remind you. Also, don’t’ bother seeing this in 3D. Once again, the image is frustratingly dark and there’s no real need for an extra dimension. Save yourself some money and see it in 2D instead.

2D version: * * * out of * * * *

3D version: * * out of * * * *