Review of Blonde (2022) by Bhappenstance — 28 Sep 2022

By no means a perfect film -- falling somewhere between Dominik's stellar The Assassination of Jessie James..., and the overly-sombre Killing Them Softly -- Blonde packs more ambition, and singularly fascinating moments, into its run time than ten other movies combined.

Blonde is, as with most of Dominik's efforts, unsurprisingly divisive, given that it implicates both the media, and us -- the audience -- in Monroe's unraveling and demise. (A more apt title might have been "The Male Gaze: The Movie.

") Further, Blonde barely bothers situating its events in anything resembling a comprehensible order (besides being basically chronological), or segueing between periods and events in Monroe's life (as any self-respecting biopic would), or providing proper introductions to new characters, much less bidding farewell to departing ones.

In short, Dominik doesn't hold anyone's hand. F**k hand holding. The overall effect, then, is a mesmerizing fever dream; as devastating as a sudden death. While in no way to everyone's taste -- more likely not to most viewers' taste -- Blonde deserves an audience.

A patient and attentive and curious audience. And de Armas should win all the awards.