It’s rare when an actor or an actress disappears into a role so much that you forget who they really are but that is exactly what Michelle Williams is able to do in “My Week with Marilyn”. The two-time Academy Award nominated actress incredibly brings Marilyn Monroe to life so vividly that it’s hard to believe she is the same girl who played the trouble making Jen Lindley on “Dawson’s” Creek years ago. She plays Marilyn with a sadness that will make you feel bad for the pressure put on her by nearly everyone in her life.
“My Week with Marilyn” tells the mostly true story of the filming of “The Prince and the Showgirl” from 1957 and is told from the point of view of Collin Clark (played by Eddie Redmayne), a star struck PA, who acted as a 3rd Assistant Director on the film. He finds himself put in a position where he may be the only able to keep Marilyn sane enough and sober enough to find her character and get the film done on time. The character of Colin almost represents the average moviegoer in the 50’s, who could not help but fall in love with the beautiful Marilyn. She sees him as someone who loves her for who she is and not just because she knows how to look sexy on screen.
The film also stars Kenneth Branagh (director of Thor), Dominic Cooper (Captain America: The First Avenger, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and Emma Watson (the Harry Potter films). Branagh plays Sir Laurence Olivier, who was responsible for casting Marilyn in “The Prince in the Showgirl”. He’s solid in the film as well as he deals with the frustration of having someone who is larger than life on a set, even as he seems to forget that she is just as human as he and the rest of the cast and crew are.
“My Week with Marilyn” is an evenly paced film with an amazing performance by Michelle Williams. She truly disappears into the role as Monroe and reaffirms her status as one of the best actresses working today, which is a bit of a surprise considering her roots stem from the TV show “Dawson’s Creek”. Who would have thought the best talent on that should would be Jen Lindley and Pacey (Joshua Jackson)?
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