Netflix And Chill: Blonde (2022)

Based on the biographical fiction novel by Joyce Carol Oates, although many moments feel close to some kind of a reality that we've all since become aware of, Blonde is a look at the wild and tragic life of Marilyn Monroe. Director Andrew Dominik also took on the job of adapting from the page to the screen, and there are plenty of choices made here that suggest he may not be a fan of the woman at the heart of the story.

Ana de Armas takes on the main role of Norma Jeane AKA Marilyn Monroe. She's first shown as a child (played by Lily Fisher), dragged through a number of painful and tragic moments by her ill mother (Julianne Nicholson). These moments will resonate through her entire life, as will the objectification and abuse that occurs on her journey to becoming one of the most iconic movie stars on the planet. There are various sexual encounters, there are horrible procedures based on the decisions of others treating her body as her only commodity, and there are two very famous marriages depicted (one to Joe DiMaggio, played here by Bobby Cannavale, and one to Arthur Miller, played by Adrien Brody).

I have really enjoyed a number of features from Andrew Dominik. His films generally range from the good to the great (Chopper), and he has made at least one modern masterpiece in the form of The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford. I took my time getting around to Blonde because I heard a lot of negative opinion about it when it first appeared, but I knew I would get around to it one day. After all, it's often important to check out something fully to form your own opinion on it. Well . . . the majority who spoke out against this were correct. It's pretty bad.

De Armas is superb though, and I am surprised that she didn't get even more praised heaped upon her for this performance. She doesn't quite nail the accent, but she mostly delivers an interpretation of Marilyn that is uncannily close to the real person. There are also great performances from Cannavale, Brody, and Toby Huss (playing a friend/enabler as Marilyn starts to spiral into ever-bleaker depressive episodes). Some of the visuals are also worthy of praise, especially during many of the sequences shown in black and white, as are the moments that blur fiction and reality by making use of famous moments from Monroe's filmography. Those are all the compliments I have though.

In a problem similar to the overuse of CGI in modern cinema, or in the way Jurassic Park was created, there are things shown here that feel as if nobody stopped to question them. Dominik was too busy realising what he could do that he didn't wonder about whether or not he SHOULD. The prime example of this is a POV shot from inside our main character's cervix. Yes, you read that right.

I understand wanting to do something that shows the ongoing battle between the beloved figure of Marilyn Monroe and the insecure and sad reality of Norma Jeane Mortenson, and there are things that became known to people only after her tragic death in the early 1960s, but both the icon and the real woman overshadowed by the stardust deserve better than this. A couple of moments come close to making a great point (particularly a sequence showing the famous subway grate updraft in The Seven Year Itch), but things inevitably keep returning to a narrative that makes our central figure an abuse victim with serious daddy issues. That may or may not be an accurate portrayal, and there's certainly truths scattered throughout this, but deciding to show her character as defined ONLY by these elements, and doing that for over two and a half hours, feels unfair and simply malicious.

I'm still glad that I finally watched this for myself, if only for that astonishing turn from De Armas. I'll never watch it again though, and I would actively discourage anyone else watching it if they lack either my compulsive viewing schedule or patience.

3/10

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The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (2007)

A rare, but enjoyable, occasion when a film is rendered fairly impossible to spoil by the title, The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford is also a film that I find it fairly impossible to view as nothing short of a near-masterpiece.

Based on the novel by Ron Hansen, it is, boiling it down to the most basic components, exactly what it says it is. It's also so much more though, starting with a look at who Jesse James (Brad Pitt) really was, a man who sometimes enjoyed his reputation and sometimes had it tightening around his neck like a noose, and then showing the things that would fall into place to lead to that fateful moment that gave Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) his moment of fame.

Adapted into screenplay form by director Andrew Dominik, a man who has been drawn throughout his career to the idea of criminals buying into/creating their own hype and the knife edge of fame and infamy, this is a film with a few people delivering some of their very best work, and that includes Roger Deakins, a man with no shortage of great cinema moments to throw into contention for the best ever. Even by his own high standards, Deakins delivers something here that has a perfect blend of grit and beauty.

When it comes to the cast, Affleck takes the top honours here. His character is never once likeable, and his presence often creates a sense of unease for those around him. Affleck plays it perfectly, showing us all the man who doesn't want to be seen directly by those he interacts with onscreen. His every attempt to charm backfires, whether it is due to him speaking "out of turn", taking a second too long to pick exactly the kind of smile he wants to offer, or sizing up any company to decide who he wants to side with if things suddenly go South. The next best performance may well come from Paul Schneider, pretty much the exact opposite of Affleck's character. I don't mind Schneider, but have rarely had cause to consider him as a really good actor. He really impressed me here. Other great turns come from names you expect to deliver great turns. Jeremy Renner does well, but both Garet Dillahunt and Sam Rockwell effortlessly remind viewers of why they are so welcome in any project they board. Sam Shepard, Mary-Louise Parker, Pat Healy, and Ted Levine all remind you of how good they can be, and Pitt excels as someone who has enjoyed making himself into a legendary figure he is now trapped by.

There are small mis-steps here and there, with one being a moment of narration that goes out of its way to tell us how Jesse James had a condition that made him blink more often than most people . . . before we see him throughout the movie hardly blinking at all. This seems, and is, a very minor failing, but it just seemed so odd to have had this detail pointed out that is then seemingly forgotten for the rest of the film.

While James is the figure at the centre of everything, however, Dominik takes his time to eventually lead viewers further and further into the mindset of Ford, showing the divide between the romanticised ideas of gunslingers making their mark and the reality of knowing how it felt to take someone else’s life with one pull of a trigger. I won’t say that you ever really warm to Ford, but the journey he goes on shows his brief ascension to “stardom” before heading towards an inevitably miserable and troubled existence. He is a man defined by one act, an act he tries to keep justifying for years, and everyone gets to form their own opinion of him.

It would be rude not to mention the soundtrack, from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (with Cave also onscreen for one very memorable moment), and the whole feel of the movie is superbly authentic, but it is the visuals and lead performances that will stay in your mind after the end credits have rolled. They are right up there with the very best of the 21st century, and this is a film that deserves the praise it has received over the years since it was first released. You won’t forget viewing this, and I doubt the lengthy runtime will put anyone off from revisiting it when they want to bask in the quality and gorgeousness of it.

10/10

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Noir November: Killing Them Softly (2012)

A fun cast liven up this darkly comedic crime thriller, helping to elevate material that we've all seen a hundred times before, with everything underscored by a message that reminds people of how life is cheap, and how much cheaper it can get during times of economic recession.

The whole thing centres on a plan to knock off a crook (Markie, played by Ray Liotta) who runs a well-known card game in town. Knocking off any card game is usually a death sentence, but this particular crook once confessed that the only previous time he was robbed was an inside job that he arranged. That means that this time around the blame should fall squarely on his shoulders. Right? Well, that's supposed to be how it all works out, but the two robbers (Scoot McNairy and Ben Mendelsohn) are too incompetent to keep everything a secret, and the main man brought into town to clear up the mess (Jackie, played by Brad Pitt) knows that Markie wouldn't be THAT stupid. But things have to be done to restore confidence, whether Markie is guilty or not.

McNairy and Mendelsohn both do well with their roles here, but Killing Them Softly steps up a gear whenever Pitt is onscreen, his character always quick to clear away any confusing distractions and pinpoint what is needed to please bosses and get people making money again. It then steps up another gear when James Gandolfini appears, playing another body brought in to help fix the situation. Liotta is always good value, in my opinion, and Richard Jenkins provides a lot of amusement as the man relaying to Pitt's character just what action is deemed necessary to make things right.

Adapting the novel "Cogan's Trade", by George V. Higgins, writer-director Andrew Dominik may not do enough to let the film stand out from the many other crime flicks to have cropped up over the years, but he realises that the strength of the film lies in a few of the main characters and affords them some great moments. Whether it's Gandolfini throwing back Martinis as he tries to hold in a burning ball of resentment and anger or the last lines of dialogue spat out by a character summing up the entire theme of the film, every one of the leads has at least one memorable scene.

As expected, there are some moments of harsh violence. This isn't a world inhabited by girl scouts selling cookies, however, so the violence shouldn't come as a shock to any viewers, although some of it IS impressively shocking. There's also plenty of humour, as black as it is. All in all, this is a good, though unspectacular, crime flick. Not necessarily one to prioritise, but worth watching if the chance arises.

6/10

http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Bly-ray-Digital-UltraViolet-Blu-ray/dp/B009AMALBM/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1415878346&sr=1-2&keywords=killing+them+softly