I was surprised to see this on Lifetime yesterday since it fancies itself the champion of women. Granted, this is fiction, but there's nothing positive in this image of Marilyn Monroe. It's disheartening that über-feminist Oates re-imagines her as the dumbest whore in Christendom. That said, I was taken with Poppy Montgomery. There are moments you sense she could have really hit it out of the park if she had a decent script!
Blonde gives you no idea of Monroe's brilliant career or what drove her. Hearing her scream at the Joe DiMaggio stand-in that her work is her life made me laugh, as her "work" consists of "auditioning" for every studio exec in town (and Richard Widmark's heirs ought to sue for the totally fictional scene of Marilyn "auditioning" for him)!
If Marilyn Monroe actually was a no-talent bimbo, I wouldn't be writing this, and Oates wouldn't be tripping all the way to the bank!
Blonde gives you no idea of Monroe's brilliant career or what drove her. Hearing her scream at the Joe DiMaggio stand-in that her work is her life made me laugh, as her "work" consists of "auditioning" for every studio exec in town (and Richard Widmark's heirs ought to sue for the totally fictional scene of Marilyn "auditioning" for him)!
If Marilyn Monroe actually was a no-talent bimbo, I wouldn't be writing this, and Oates wouldn't be tripping all the way to the bank!