My Week With Marilyn (2011)

My Week With Marilyn

Year: 2011

Director: Simon Curtis

Cast: Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh, Julia Ormond, Judi Dench

Before I begin my review….

                Now this is one movie I was really sceptical about.

                This had nothing to do with whether I liked the story, director or actors, it was completely to do with the love that I have for the late movie stars who are being portrayed in My Week With Marilyn. I am a massive fan of Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. I have so much Olivier and Leigh love that when my husband and I go to Gloria Jeans or Starbucks and they ask for our names for our order, we will more than likely give our names as Vivien and Larry.

                It is a strange thing watching actors who’s work you are familiar with portray other actors on screen who you are not only familiar with their work, but you have done so much reading into their lives that you feel like you know the person they were. You can either leave the cinema in a rage at the way they have been represented, or you can praise the actors who were portraying them for doing them complete justice.

                Luckily in this case, I am praising the actors. Particularly Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh who do deserve their Academy Award nominations for their portrayals of Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier. Although if I had to be picky, I’m still not 100% convinced that Williams had Monroe’s raspy but sweet voice perfected, but that is being very picky. She had everything else about Monroe that we know perfected.

                So I am happy with the character portrayal of these actors I love so much. It was just like watching my dear friends on the big screen.

Review

                My Week With Marilyn is one of those films where the story line may not be terribly strong, but the performances are.

                Based on the memoirs of the same name by Colin Clark, Clark’s first book entitled “The Prince, The Showgirl and Me” may have been better to make into a movie than “My Week With Marilyn”. The same characters which would mean the same brilliant performances, but the weakest part of the film, which is the romantic relationship between Clark and Marilyn Monroe would be put to the side. Mind you, this is almost what happens in the film anyway.

                The year is 1957 and Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) is the biggest movie star in the world. Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) scores the dream job of working on the set of Monroe’s latest film project, The Prince and The Showgirl with his hero, Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh). Colin gets the witness the way a film is made, but also gets the witness the dynamics of the cast and crew, in particular Monroe and Olivier’s fiery working relationship. Colin falls under Monroe’s spell, as he becomes the shoulder she leans on throughout the film.

                One of the big faults with My Week With Marilyn is that you really don’t feel like you get that much out of Colin’s week with her. It is true that you get a taste for who Monroe really was behind all the glitz and glamour and realise her fight to be seen as more than just a sex symbol, but it almost feels like it is just a waste of time putting any emphasis at all on the relationship between her and Colin.

                The screenplay and storyline does also lack a considerable amount of depth. There are no really emotional moments in the film and no real longing by the audience to find out as quickly as possible what is going to happen.  However, the film makes up for it in the character development and performances of the main characters. A considerable amount of research has been done on the film as to who all the characters were when they were alive and filming The Prince and The Showgirl.  Of course, research does come easier when the film is based on memoirs, and there is a tremendous amount of literature out there about these actors.

                My Week With Marilyn is, rather than being a script driven film, very much a character driven film, particularly that of Marilyn Monroe.  Michelle Williams does a wonderful job of bringing Monroe back to the big screen. She has the walk perfected, the body language and the facial expressions all down to a tee. Her voice doesn’t quite match Monroe’s, but she is forgiven for this considering she gets so much else right. The best part about her performance is how much emotion she brings to her performance. Towards the end of the film, you almost forget that you are watching Williams and not Monroe. She brings Monroe back to life and we get to see straight into her soul and you don’t just see Monroe, but you also see Norma Jeane.

                Kenneth Branagh is also brilliant as Sir Laurence Olivier. He gives an intense and electronically charged performance. There are moments you know you should dislike him, but his intensity is just so brilliant.

                However, the role of Colin Clark, played by Eddie Redmayne couldn’t possibly be any easier for him. He speaks of how much he loves Monroe, but he is just like a love struck teenager who just grins idiotically at his idol. Those Harry Potter fans who are eager to see Emma Watson in this film as Colin’s initial love interest, Lucy would be disappointed. It is such a bland role and completely useless in the large scope of the film.

                My Week With Marilyn is a not a strong film, but a film with strong performances by Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh. Granted, Marilyn Monroe fans will love it.

7/10

Sources
Imdb.com

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Year: 2011

Director: David Yates

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton

In My Own Words

                Well, here we are. At the end of the Harry Potter film series. It really is the end of an era. I feel the way I did at the end of the Lord Of The Rings series, but perhaps a bit sadder to say goodbye than I was then. With Lord Of The Rings it was a film series of three years, Harry Potter it feels like when you were at school. You meet all these news friends on your first day of high school and on the last day of school it’s like you are saying goodbye forever. Although with leaving school you tend to see everybody again. No more Harry though! It really is a sad feeling for die hard supporters such as myself.

                I would be lying if I said I had always liked the Harry Potter books and movies. I have liked them for a long time now, but not since the first book or movie was released. I remember being in high school (that subject seems to be coming up a bit in this post) when the first book came out and quite a few of my school friends were reading. I was a tad confused as to why as I thought that Harry Potter was for children. A few years went by and when Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban was released, I thought “I may want to see this film” (this was before I was a film reviewer). So I went out and hired the first two movies. I was hooked. This series was so much fun to watch and not to mention completely addictive. So I have been a die hard fan since 2004.

                I guess what a lot of people like about Harry Potter is not just that it has these three misfits who you almost fell like you get to grow up with or it  meddles with the idea of a magical, fun world running parallel with reality, but it is always a great form of discussion. Before the final book was released, theories about how it was going to end were flying around all over the place. Even know, people think there may be something more which J. K. Rowling isn’t telling us. The films and the books will always draw people together in conversation and be and interesting conversation starter.

                I miss the movies already and I have only been out of the cinema for an hour! It is a sad feeling that it is now all over. I really hope the best for Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. They are each wonderful actors in their own right and I really hope we are going to see lots more of them in the future. I recently saw Rupert Grint in Wild Target on DVD which I really enjoyed him in, and I am looking forward to seeing Daniel Radcliffe in The Woman In Black and Emma Watson in My Week With Marilyn.

                These are my own words and here is my Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 review. Enjoy.

Review

                 “It All Ends” shouts the posters for Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2. And so it does. After 10 years and 8 Harry Potter films, the final movie event in J. K. Rowling’s phenomenon finally hits cinemas. It is a bittersweet experience for fans which these films and their almost annual releases have become a part of their lives for a decade. The final film doesn’t disappoint for these die hard fans. It is a fitting farewell to the characters which they love and stays true to the book, with some slight adjustments to aid the excitement on the big screen. However, those who haven’t seen any Harry Potter films before and are thinking about seeing this film, shouldn’t unless you watch at the very least Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

                The final Harry Potter film picks up right where it left off in Part 1. Lord Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) power is at its strongest and Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his ever trusted friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) know they have to find all the horcruxes in order to kill him once and for all. The showdown takes place at Hogwarts, which is now under the rule of assumed Voldemort follower Severus Snape (Alan Rickman). One thing is for certain in the final war between Harry and Voldemort, only one will survive.

                The great things about the final instalment of the Harry Potter series is that it delivers everything it promises to be. There is suspense from the beginning to the end of the film and it does stay true to the book. In some ways, the final scene at Hogwarts is anti-climatic and may be a bit too subtle for some people. However, it is plain to see why director, David Yates chose to make it like this. It isn’t cliché or a scene where people wave their fists in the air in response to the ending of the battle, and it is a feeling of surrealism and calm now that it is finally all over, and a feeling of wondering where to go from there.

                The directing and cinematography is actually the best in this film than any of the other films. There are some great techniques used in filming some scenes in particular, such as at the very beginning when the three friends are standing outside Olivander’s door and are almost silhouettes. The sound affects for the battle scenes are very impressive, as are the visuals and special effects in these scenes.

                The only real downfall of the film is that it is not quite as emotional in certain scenes as it should be. This is not to say that there is no emotion in this film at all, as there definitely is and there are tears to be shed. Yet, some scenes such as when somebody is thought to be dead, there is only a reaction from one person and barely any tears from others who should be showing some type of emotion.

                As for the acting, job well done by all. Radcliffe gives his best performance as Potter in this film. He isn’t over the top and he is a complete natural now, as you would hope he would be as if he didn’t know his character inside and out by now, he never will. Only criticism is that his chemistry with Bonnie Wright, who plays his love interest, Ginny Weasley is almost non-existent.

                Again, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are very good. Neither is over the top and give their characters all they can. It is almost a moment of triumph when these two finally kiss on screen as everybody has been waiting for this for years. You can see that these two are very close as friends in real life, as they just work on screen together and are very sweet.

                Perhaps the best performance in the film is that of Alan Rickman. He is fantastic in this film. He has the most complex character in the series and in this final film, his character is completely broken down and all the raw emotion of this character comes to the screen. Ralph Fiennes is also brilliant as Voldemort. He is as evil as they come and shows no hint of having any good in his soul at all. Helena Bonham Carter is not on screen too much as Bellatrix Lestrange, but she makes an impact when she is. A great moment and a credit to her acting is when Hermione has taken the polyjuice potion to make her Bellatrix and Bonham Carter charges everything about her performance. You completely forget that you are watching Bonham Carter pretend to be Watson and believe that it really is Hermione trying to be Bellatrix.

                It is definitely a sad time to see the Harry Potter series finish up, but Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is a fitting conclusion to the phenomenon. Again, non-fans of the books or movies or people who haven’t had anything to do with either, shouldn’t waste their time as they will have no idea what is going on, but fans will love it. Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.

7.5/10

            

Harry Potter and The Deathy Hallows: Part 1

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Year: 2010
Director: David Yates
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter

In My Own Words
I am an unashamed Harry Potter fan, not afraid to say it. I won't say I was always a Harry Potter fan, but I became so with the release of "Harry Potter and The Prisoner Of Azkaban" in cinemas back in 2004. After deciding that I wouldn't mind seeing the film, I went and watched the first 2 movies and was hooked. Since then, I've read every one of the Harry Potter books, seen all the films the day or day after it came out and stood in lines at bookstores on the day the books were released. What do I love the most about Harry Potter? It's a story about growing up and life as a high school student with a difference. Even though it is a fantasy story, people can identify with Harry, Ron and Hermione. They are outcasts in a world of outcasts and struggle with growing up issues, but then they are great fun to watch and by now you know them as well as you would your best friends.

How do I feel about the last chapter of the Harry Potter saga? It didn't feel like it at all. Personally I don't think it was a great idea to split the last book up into two movies, but I can see why they did it. I know I first thought that they split the last book into two to keep the franchise going and keep the money rolling in, but now I see that it would have been a 4 hour movie if they made the last book into one film. I still don't know if it worked though. Of course I have an advantage over the people who haven't read the books, but I don't think it ended in the right place. Yet I don't know if there would've been the right place to finish part one. Hurry up part two! In saying this, I would really be interested in hearing from people who haven't read the books to see whether they think that the ending was sufficient. It is hard for me to say knowing what is coming next.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
So, the last chapter of the Harry Potter saga. But wait....there is still more! Whatever the reason for making "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows" into two movies, it definately doesn't feel like it ends in the right place. Not intense enough to be a cliff hanger, just needed to end maybe 15 minutes earlier. However, it is definately not the worst of the Harry Potter movies and nowhere near the worst movies of the year if you look at it as a stand alone film. A word of warning though, if you are going to the film to see it as a stand alone film as you haven't seen the first six movies, then you won't have a clue what is going on. After the death of Hogwarts head master,Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) at the end of the last Harry Potter film, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) set off to begin their end battle with Harry's life-long enemy, Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). They take hiding in the woods of England to destroy Voldemort's horcruxes (a term which only those who have been following Harry's journey will know) before Voldemort finds them and destroy's them first.

The second last installment of the Harry Potter series is very close to being, if it isn't, the darkest of the films. There are not many smiles to be had by any of the characters and this is the way it was always going to be in this movie. The movie stays true to the book which it is based on and some things work better on screen than they do in words. There are segments in the book which are extremely tense and the intensity of Harry's situation is transferred to the audience very well. The audience feels the danger and fears for their safety. It does tend to drag on a bit at one point in time, but in these scenes it still manages to show how the journey is taking it's toll on the three friends and again, it is still true to the book in doing so. The cinematography and visuals have definately progressed with the films over time and several scenes are really quite beautiful. The musical score is also perfect for the film and again brings more emotion into the film. The ending is somwhat questionable though, as it is not a cliff hanger by any means. This film didn't need a cliff hanger at the end of it to increase interest and encourage people to go and watch the final film though so it can be forgiven.

"Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows" is the Harry Potter film which shows the true acting ability of Radcliffe, Grint and Watson. They have all matured in their acting so much in the past few years and this film is very well acted. The three of them just bounce of one another in their acting and create such a strong relationship not just between themselves, but also between themselves and the audience. Radcliffe, Grint and Watson all give strong performances and you can really tell that their acting is not as forced as what it felt back in their earlier days. There shouldn't be a doubt in anyone's mind now that these three will all have careers after Harry Potter, and good careers at that. Helena Bonham Carter is also great to watch as the evil and clearly insane Bellatrix Lestrange.

Whether or not "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1" was a great film or not or whether it had a cliff hanger ending or not, won't take Harry Potter fans away from enjoying this film or looking forward to the finale. Not the worst Harry Potter film, not the best Harry Potter film. It is no longer a children's tale and it is very dark. Nevertheless, it is still Harry Potter and it definately shows how the film saga has become better production wise over the years. Let's hear it Harry Potter fans....bring on July 2011.
7/10