Blonde – Coming This Month

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

BLONDE

ANA DE ARMAS AS THE ICONIC MARILYN MONROE ON NETLFIX

“I’ve never fooled anyone. I’ve let people fool themselves. They didn’t bother to find out who and what I was. Instead, they would invent a character for me. I wouldn’t argue with them. They were obviously loving somebody I wasn’t”

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe fans from across the globe have been waiting with bated breath for what will undoubtedly be one of the hottest streaming releases this year: Blonde, a film which will be released globally on Netflix on September 28. Written and directed by Andrew

Dominik (perhaps best known for his Nick Cave documentaries), it has one aim: that of telling Marilyn’s story from her own perspective. Dominik hopes to reveal the essence not only of Marilyn, but also of Norma Jean – the woman Marilyn was before she was transformed into an icon. Ana de Armas, who stars as the bombshell, says that Dominik chose “the most daring, feminist perspective possible.”

The film reveals details about Marilyn’s life which, to date, have largely been kept under wraps.

WHY ANA?

The answer to the question is obvious if you have checked out the promo material and trailer. The resemblance between both actors is uncanny. While there will always be one and only one Marilyn (the same can be said of Princess Diana, Grace Kelly, and other icons of modern culture and history), Ana de Armas is as undoubtedly lovely, warm, and charismatic. She also happens to be an ultra-talented actor. Jamie Lee Curtis once said that de Armas had “the most expressive eyes she had ever seen.” The film also features a talented supporting cast, which includes Adrien Brody and Bobby Cannavale.

ACCENT WARS

The choice of Ana de Armas to play such a beloved American icon has garnered its fair share of criticism – based only on the few seconds de Armas speaks in the trailer. The actor, who was born in Cuba and who spent her later teenage years in Spain, acknowledges that perfecting Marilyn’s accent was a big challenge. She called the process “a torture” that left her brain “fried.” It took nine months of work and required re-recording parts of the dialogue post-filming.

Marilyn Monroe’s estate stood by the casting choice, telling Variety, “Marilyn Monroe is a singular Hollywood and pop culture icon that transcends generations and history. Any actor that steps into that role knows they have big shoes to fill. Based on the trailer alone, it looks like Ana was a great casting choice as she captures Marilyn’s glamour, humanity and vulnerability. We can’t wait to see the film in its entirety!” Dominik, meanwhile, has called de Armas’ performance “f***ing amazing.”

ANDREW DOMINIK: A KEEN OBSERVER OF HUMAN SUFFERING AND REDEMPTION

If you are keen on learning more about Andrew Dominik, I suggest the documentary, One More Time with Feeling. The latter centres on musical and literary great, Nick Cave, and his creative process as he struggled with the greatest personal tragedy he had experienced: the death of his 15-year-old son, Arthur. Dominik, who hails from New Zealand, has a deep interest in the human condition. He told Collider that he believed Blonde would be “one of the 10 best movies ever made” because it “tells the story of how a childhood trauma shapes an adult who’s split between a public and a private self. It’s basically the story of every human being.” Dominik has revealed that the film will be low on dialogue and high on imagery and events.

BLONDE IS BASED ON JOYCE CAROL OATES’ BEST-SELLING NOVEL

Blonde has also received the stamp of approval of the author of the book Blonde, upon which the film is based. The author, who revealed many shocking events from Marilyn’s life (including a crime committed upon her by a studio executive) gave it glowing reviews after watching a rough cut in 2020. She tweeted, “It is startling, brilliant, very disturbing and perhaps most surprisingly an utterly ‘feminist’ interpretation. (I’m) not sure that any male director has ever achieved anything [like] this.” Dominik clarified that his film is “demanding”, calling it an “emotional nightmare fairy-tale type movie.” Don’t let that put you off, though. Nightmares can be chilling, but they can also reveal fascinating information about our psyche and inner desires and fears. e