While the film continues to receive mixed reviews, those close to the project have consistently praised the director.
There’s been a lot of talk about Ana de Armas’s casting as Marilyn Monroe for Andrew Dominik’s blond. Even before the film’s premiere, some criticized the choice (mainly because of her accent), while others praised Dominik’s decision. At the Venice Film Festival, the actress received a 14-minute ovation for a performance that was consistently praised. Thoughts about the film, however, proved more divisive and received mixed reviews. The film currently has a 48% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
While critics and audiences may be wary of the new film, Academy Award winner Adrien Brody (who plays Arthur Miller) owes nothing to the director’s efforts. In conversation with The Hollywood Reporter that took place earlier this month, Brody called Dominik a “beautifully brave director.” blond is a fictionalized account of the starlet’s tumultuous life, told from her perspective. Monroe’s constant victimization in the film has led some critics to label it exploitative. Brody discussed the film’s divisions, telling the Hollywood Reporter:
“You know, the novel and the movie are both full of themes of exploitation and trauma. And Marilyn’s life was unfortunately full of them. Being a traumatic experience, because you are in her – her journey and her desires and her isolation – in the midst of all this admiration. It’s brave and it takes a while to digest. And I think it goes against what the audience thinks about it and I think that’s where the movie triumphs, because – whether it whether an extreme portrayal or not – it honors the extreme gap between the public’s perception of the fame and glory of Hollywood’s most famous, iconic actor, and that person’s reality – the loneliness and emptiness and mental turmoil and abuse of that person. And that’s why I think those two interpretations you’ve laid out are all part of storytelling, and I see where Andrew is going with it. It’s fearless filmmaking.”
become Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller was a playwright best known for his penny Death of a seller and The melting pot. The Pulitzer Prize recipient met Monroe in 1951. In 1956, he left his first wife and married Monroe. The two divorced in 1961. Brody wanted to honor Miller and ensure that his portrayal of the “complex, thoughtful, intelligent” playwright was as true to Miller as possible. About preparing for the role, he said:
I did a lot of research into his life and their relationship. Andrew told me about a lot of details that were quite fascinating, although the film doesn’t even really go directly into any of those things. But we tried to get a good understanding of where he was. was in his career during the time he spent with Marilyn. I just felt a deep responsibility to honor him, you know. That’s basically what it comes down to.”
In addition to De Armas and Brody, the film also stars Bobby Cannavale and Julianne Nicholson. blond is based on Joyce Carol Oates’ acclaimed novel of the same name and is produced by Brad Pitt’s production banner Plan B. The NC-17 movie is currently streaming on Netflix.