There has never been a woman like Marilyn Monroe. There is no comparison to the defined mole, to the rounded hips, the voluptuous lips, the innocent blue eyes, the curly, beautiful hair - no matter what color or length - the curves, the vivid manner she would take in every single one of her movie characters, her low and deep voice when she sung, the way she spoke gently and softly, her smiles and suaveness when being approached by fans, her love of being loved by many people, her eagerness to learn, to make others comprehend and believe she was not only a film star, but a great actress. There is also no comparison to all of her instabilities, her fear of being abandoned, her lack of home and family, her abuse in alcohol and pills, her broken marriages, her loneliness, high auto-criticism, sometimes lack of profissionalism and sporadic gloominess.
All of these straight and easy to see characteristics of Marilyn Monroe were studied and dressed on by Michelle Williams in 2010, when the movie "My Week With Marilyn" was filmed. As a true lover of Norma Jean, I subjectively did not believe in the movie itself when I saw the trailer. In fact, my first reaction to seeing it was indignation. How could someone try to "imitate" our Marilyn? My Marilyn? The only one? Seems like my eyes deceived me in a first impression. There is a way, indeed, to recreate - not imitate - Mrs. Monroe.
Michelle did not only get to play the part physically - which worked perfectly, since her body and Marilyn's could be easily mixed up - but she also did something that Marilyn would love to have done - to impeccably confuse a whole audience into shock. Who would ever have thought that Michelle, with her usual dramatic, almost awkward figure, would be perfect in Marilyn Monroe's body.
There's a possibility that if Norma was still alive and she was taken to the movie theatre to see herself in the picture, she would be envy of what Michelle Williams could do. Everyone knows Marilyn was of course a great actress. Not because she changed much in her characters, not because she used great techniques, not because she was praised and loved or because she just looked great in every film she has been in, but a great actress because she sat and listened. Because she always made an effort to learn. Because her insecurities only made all of her co-workers, friends and fans realize how modest she really was. Marilyn didn't know what to do with her power. And that's what made her so beautiful.
Michelle is not afraid. That is the difference you can see in the movie. She ate Marilyn Monroe. Swallowed her live. Michelle embraced her from death and brought her back to life. Her voice, her looks, the way she moved, absolutely everything that Marilyn was and would want to be, Michelle made true.
The movie itself - not leading to only how amazing Williams turned out to be - is great. For those who are fans of Marilyn and know her story and trajectory, it is a good film, turthful to who she was and to what really happened between her and Colin Clark - the author of the book "My Week With Marilyn", which will be very popular this winter.
There are few better things than seeing Mrs. Monroe's face in the theatre. I have had the opportunity of seeing a couple of films with her in the big screen and I have to say - watching Michelle play her gives me almost the same feeling. Excitement, happiness, freedom and identification.
That is Marilyn Monroe. That is Michelle Williams. Sweet.
