Learn To Be Lonely

This film upon viewing was a pleasant discovery.  Had heard all the buzz and knew it would be up for several Academy Awards.  The other day I revisited the hilarious comedy from the late 90s, Dick, starring Kirstin Dunst and Michelle Williams.  I kept trying to remember where I had heard and seen Michelle Williams until...duh!...she was the star of My Week With Marilyn.

The story is about the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl in which she would be working with Laurence Olivier.  She arrives in London amidst the fanfare and flash photo ops with her husband of the time, Arthur Miller.  But the story revolves around a young man who wants to get into the motion picture industry, Colin Clark.  He wrote about this week with Marilyn whilst Arthur Miller left London for a week.  Colin is to get Marilyn a place to stay and just take orders from the higher-ups.

Colin meets Marilyn and eventually becomes her friend.  She sees a side of Marilyn that few have seen...a young woman who just wants to live a nice life away from the glamour and glitz.  The featurette on the DVD mentions that Marilyn Monroe was a character...and I believe that- how she would play with the camera and the adoring fans.  The real Marilyn wanted a family.  She is, I think, a sympathetic character.  Hollywood just dictated what she should do and be.  The week Colin and Marilyn spent they did things as friends would; I'm sure love was blooming as well.

Meanwhile, London is getting a taste of the actress as she arrives late on the set.  Vivian Leigh, Olivier's wife, is jealous; Judi Dench's character is that of an established British actress who sees in Marilyn a star wanting to become an actress.  Colin has a young girlfriend who works in wardrobe.  She feels that Colin is slowly headed towards Marilyn.

Needless to say, it is an engaging work of cinema.  It was nice to see it in the privacy of my home and "being" with the characters.  Marilyn Monroe is an icon; as Elton John sang in his song, "you seemed to live your life like a candle in the wind."  And the week demonstrated that.  It's a shame she died so young.  Composer Alexander Desplat wrote a beautiful theme for Marilyn- it tugs at your heart.  

See it and learn more about this wonderful week that I am sure Marilyn treasured till the day she died.