Review of My Week with Marilyn (2011) by Vidkid — 16 Apr 2012

This is a disappointing movie. How can a film about one of history's most iconic, mysterious and enchanting movie stars be so un-enchanting? Even Michelle Williams as Marilyn and Kenneth Branagh as Olivier cannot save this film from the boring direction of Simon Curtis.

This is a story that had a chance to me as magical as Marilyn herself. Instead, we get what looks like incredibly staged and uninvolving scenes, a plethora of men swooning at Williams in basically every scene, and the look and feel of a TV movie of the week.

There wasn't one scene of real substance here, save for some nice moments with Judi Dench, as Dame Sybil Thorndike, who is authentically sympathetic to Marilyn and defends her from the at times harsh and un-compassionate colleagues on the British movie set where they are working.

The characters are little more than cardboard caricatures and lack the true character development of a more distinguished film. Williams tried hard, but had too much working against her here. At the end of the 102 minute running time, I still yearned to learn much more about this charismatic and troubled movie star-icon.