MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (2011, Blu-ray released March 13, 2012 – MSRP CDN$ 39.99)
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I can honestly say that I wasn’t expecting much at all from Simon Curtis‘ My Week With Marilyn, least of all that it would be one of the best and most engaging films I’ve seen in the last year. Colour me surprised. The film, and its Blu-ray presentation are both top notch.
- “During Marilyn Monroe’s (Michelle Williams) first trip to London to film The Prince and the Showgirl with Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh), she befriends Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), an ambitious 23-year-old Third Assistant Director on the set. As their relationship progresses, Colin’s focus shifts from making his way in the film business to rescuing her from the pressures of celebrity life. When Monroe’s new husband, playwright Arthur Miller, makes a brief trip to Paris, Clark takes the opportunity to introduce her to the world outside of Hollywood fame. Based on the true story by Colin Clark, this memoir describes a magical week in which Monroe opens herself up to a stranger and finds in him a confidant and an ally.“
I had this Blu-ray sitting on a little stack of discs I need to watch, actually dreading putting it into the PS3 and pressing play. I don’t know why but I just had very little interest in sitting down to this one and giving it my time. Perhaps it’s that I’m not so keen on tales of old Hollywood. Or perhaps I was just put off of Eddie Redmayne since his stiff, unconvincing performance in The Pillars of the Earth miniseries. But I couldn’t have been more wrong about My Week With Marilyn. It get’s damn near everything perfect, from the tight, compelling script, the brilliant casting, moving musical themes and lush, evocative cinematography. I want to rewind this past years Academy Awards and give them all to this film now. Is it too late?
While Michelle Williams’ remarkable turn as sex symbol Monroe is the obvious target of adulation – and well deserved at that – it’s the supporting performances that really floor me. Branagh’s Olivier is often magical, to the extent that it might bring fans of the late Shakespearean actor nearly to tears in its accuracy. Dougray Scott finally slays me in a role as Monroe’s then-husband, playwright Arthur Miller. Add in a healthy helping of Judy Dench, Emma Watson, Dominic Cooper and a handful of Mike Leigh regulars and you’ve got the making of a film with one of the most muscular casts in recent years. But don’t let their pedigree scare you away. Despite the fact that the thespianic heft of the performers, the often troubling material and the period of the piece won’t appeal to an average audience , My Week With Marilyn retains a youthful tone that, in combination with its attractive visual style, make this breezy 99-minute trip down memory lane a sugary pill to swallow. No pun intended.
As I think I’ve mentioned numerous times already, My Week With Marilyn looks stunning. Thankfully, the Blu-ray is a completely faithful rendering of the source material, film-like from beginning to end. This is a fairly soft image to begin with, so don’t expect to see Star Trek up on screen. But what the disc delivers is dead-on skin tones, colour and contrast. Beautiful. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is also a delight, reproducing every nuance of Lang Lang‘s virtuoso piano performances and providing just enough immersion to render the scene. The bounty of the track is given over to the dialogue, however, which is always clean and clear through the center channel.
There are sadly too few special features on the disc. If you enjoyed the film even in the least you owe it to yourself to give director Simon Curtis’ commentary track at least a cursory listen. He’s well spoken and enthusiastic and clearly in love with his material, cast and crew. Great track. I can’t really say the same for the 20-minute featurette “The Untold Story of an American Icon” which feels a bit too EPK for my liking. I shouldn’t be so harsh. There’s a lot to like and learn about there and you should give it a look. I was just hoping for something more substantial. The disc includes a DVD copy of the film.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Feature Commentary With Director Simon Curtis
- The Untold Story Of An American Icon Featurette
- DVD
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