Film Review: "the Blonde"

 The only reason this beautifully crafted movie is getting negative feedback is people who have made Monroe an icon and are having a hard time reconciling this with what a tragic figure she was. So called Marilyn Monroe historians who are little more than fans of the former actress, seem to have a greater difficulty adding up the facts, when you die at 36 in the manner, she did she either killed herself or was killed. Based on the book by Joyce Caroline Oates, while some portions might be over dramatized, it does capture the tone of Hollywood in the 1950s. Back before there hash tags much less one that said Metoo. When the unspoken rule of the casting couch was in place for attractive women like Marilyn who were not the most talented to rocket into the spotlight. 

A friend of mine was saying how they heard people could not make it through the first 12 minutes. First off, these people must be incredibly stupid if they do not know how fast forward works on Netflix. Secondly just because something makes you uncomfortable it does not mean you have to run from. In fact, the only way you get stronger is by sitting through discomfort. As this movie shows, no one even the so-called icons of our day were ever promised life was going to go their way. Babies do not have the coping skills to sit through discomfort but as we get older, we learn how to handle it, or should. I did not like watching child abuse, but I am an adult enough to know while it was supposedly a reenactment of real events the actors were not actually hurting one another. Especially the child actress.  But it triggers you because you were abused, well so was I welcome to the club, your cookie is in the mail, this movie was a reminder that no matter what you go through as a child as an adult it is your responsible to do the work and take care of yourself, and do not rely on the rest of the world to meet those needs for you or you will end up death at 36.

Despite not being curvy enough for Marilyn I thought Ana De Armas, did a fine job of playing her to the point that the physical difference faded into the background. She was most believable portraying the confusing and the mood swings, I think one of the most powerful points the movie made was showing how she wanted to be Norma Jean not Marilyn Monroe who was just a character she played to the public, the toll that double life had on her and how her untreated mental illness became worse in doing so. It was also interesting how when she started figuring out the Hollywood game, she began to crack, and they controlled her with drugs.  This movie shows that perhaps when picking our idols, we need to see how flawed they may have been as until you see that side you are not getting a full picture of them. 

  

Film Review : "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile"

This year has found Netflix really step up their game and make movies that are as legit as anything in theaters. While not a horror movie. It is a grim character study that is propelled by the fantastic performance of Zac Efron, who really loses himself in the role. I think the measure of restraint the director chose by not showing the murders which would have made it a horror movie was a commendable choice.  This could have been a slasher, but instead the movie focused on  just how charismatic  Bundy was. To the point that even though you know the end result you might find yourself siding with his protestations of innocence. John Malkovich also bolsters the film with his role as the Judge during the big trial in Florida.

The question I go off of these days when measuring how good a movie is, now has become how long did it take me to finish it? Since the bulk of my movie going doesn't take place in the theater and is watched at home, is it something that got dragged out because I only watched it in short intervals or was I engaged and drawn to watch as much of it as I could. I would have finished this is one sitting if I had not started it at a late hour and needed to go to bed. The pacing and sense of suspense were compelling and kept me wanting to watch it. Could there have been less emphasis placed on the relationship with his girl friend at the beginning ? I would normally say yes, but it almost gave it an unexpected twist, by showing the role she played in his story. I  think this also humanized him more. I am sure there will be some kind of continued outrage online with people complaining about making him sexy. But due to the groupies he had in court I think it is a very real part of the story and they should get over themselves since the guilty dog barks the loudest.

My only complaint is the fact it did not factor his mental health into the equation aside from a brief mention at the end. I went online and searched his diagnosis to find he was not a psychopath , but bi=polar. I also found the reason this was not a focal point is because people think it would be stigmatizing. As some one who is bi-polar I call bullshit on taking this approach, because one to make it in this world as someone who is mentally ill you have to have thicker skin and hold yourself accountable. This was more of a dire warning to me of what could happen if I did not take care of myself than something to make me feel bad. I don't feel bad because I do take care of myself. I think it was in fact less stigmatizing to show crazy is not Norman Bates or Leather Face , but can be a high functioning facade that goes wrong . Mental health in the 60s and 70s was no where near where is today, so that factors in. I am fascinated with serial killers though Bundy's case was not as fark as Gacy or Gein so I never immersed my self in his story so this shed a different light and is a great film for fans of true crime.