Review | Venice 2022: Blonde movie review – Netflix’s Marilyn Monroe biopic, starring Ana de Armas, takes a hallucinogenic look at the Hollywood icon’s controversial life
- Ana de Armas plays Monroe in Andrew Dominik’s unconventional adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’ book that is chronological but largely skips over her movie career
- As she moves from sad childhood into the predatory hands of men in Hollywood, nothing seems quite real. But the sex scenes are, and will shock some viewers
3/5 stars
“It’s just a crazy dream,” whispers Marilyn Monroe in her baby-doll voice in Blonde. You could say the same for director Andrew Dominik’s often hallucinogenic take on the tragic star’s life.
Based on the book by Joyce Carol Oates, the film takes an impressionistic look at Monroe – or rather Norma Jeane, the woman behind the film star. Frequently switching between colour and black-and-white, Dominik pulls out all the tricks across an exhaustive 166-minute journey that will leave you spent by the end.
Premiering in competition at the Venice film festival before it releases on Netflix on September 23, there’s no questioning Dominik’s artistry as he tries to crack open Norma Jeane’s fragile shell.
The film moves chronologically, beginning with her sad childhood with no father and an abusive, drunken mother (Julianne Nicholson) who will later be admitted to hospital. From there she’s moving into Hollywood circles, into a world of predatory men all too willing to place her on the casting couch.