Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Michelle Williams | ... | Marilyn Monroe | |
Eddie Redmayne | ... | Colin Clark | |
Julia Ormond | ... | Vivien Leigh | |
Kenneth Branagh | ... | Sir Laurence Olivier | |
Pip Torrens | ... | Sir Kenneth Clark | |
Geraldine Somerville | ... | Lady Jane Clark | |
Michael Kitchen | ... | Hugh Perceval | |
Miranda Raison | ... | Vanessa | |
Karl Moffatt | ... | Jack Cardiff | |
Simon Russell Beale | ... | Cotes-Preedy | |
Toby Jones | ... | Arthur Jacobs | |
Robert Portal | ... | David Orton | |
Philip Jackson | ... | Roger Smith | |
Jim Carter | ... | Barry | |
Victor McGuire | ... | Andy |
Sir Laurence Olivier (Sir Kenneth Branagh) is making a movie in London. Young Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), an eager film student, wants to be involved and he navigates himself a job on the set. When movie star Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) arrives for the start of shooting, all of London is excited to see the blonde bombshell, while Olivier is struggling to meet her many demands and acting ineptness, and Colin is intrigued by her. Colin's intrigue is met when Marilyn invites him into her inner world where she struggles with her fame, her beauty, and her desire to be a great actress. Written by napierslogs
Michelle Williams achieves the impossible. We believe she's Marilyn! Judi Dench is a hoot as Dame Sibyl Thorndike and Kenneth Brannagh has his moments. But the rest...Oh dear, Oh dear. Who though of Julia Ormond as Vivien Leigh!? and Eddie Redmeyer, he's a good actor, I've seen him on stage, but here he is a hole on the screen. He doesn't project anything that could possibly touch us. I remember loving "The Prince And The Showgirl" and thinking how remarkable Marilyn was. With the benefit of hindsight she had managed to keep her performance as fresh as timeless as a real work of art. While Olivier, the"actor" of his generation seems stilted and dated. My week with Marilyn misses the mark, big time but Michelle Williams performance makes it a must.