Written and Directed by: James Franco
Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Michael Shannon
The Broken Tower is a black and white biopic about early 20th Century American Poet, Hart Crane (1899-1932.) Written and directed by James Franco, (who plays Crane) this film takes a look at a self-destructive, but brilliantly talented man who committed suicide at the age of 32 by jumping off a boat into the Gulf of Mexico. The narrative of the story follows the life and travels of Crane from age 17, when he changed his name from Harold to "Hart" and moved from Cleveland to New York, Paris, Cuba and back to New York. The story details how Crane struggled to make a living through temporary jobs, even moving back to Cleveland at one point to work for his father, who happened to be a successful candy manufacturer (a side note: Crane's father, Clarence invented the candy "Life Savers", but sold the patent before it became popular.) Throughout the 1920's, the openly-gay Crane had some of his poems such as "White Buildings", "Voyages", and "The Bridge" published by well respected literary magazines. We learn through the film that Crane's poems were (and still are) difficult to understand, but at the same time, he was way ahead of his time and people in the literary world took notice of his work. One of Crane's last published poems "The Broken Tower" emerged in 1931 after his only known hetero-sexual affair with a woman named Peggy Cowley. Hart Crane is now viewed as a literary genius some forty years after his death.
I have to say that no other actor has the courage or the talent to play the character of an openly gay poet like James Franco. Just like he did with the character of Alan Ginsberg in Howl (2010), Franco opens the door to the world of an eccentric and gifted, yet incredibly self destructive person. James' younger brother, Dave Franco, who plays the teen-aged "Harold" has proven that he is just as eccentric and talented as his older brother. Michael Shanon, who plays the part of Hart's lover, Emile is well cast, and a natural fit for his role. The sex scenes in the movie are in fact explicit; however, the passion that is shown is felt by the viewer, making them non-offensive. The black-and-white cinematography of the film really captures the time period for which the film takes place. It is pretty well known that Franco is a hard-working actor who is willing to take risks. Just like the characters which he likes to portray, it's no mystery that that Franco is an eccentric person himself; but, that is what makes him stand out from the rest of the Hollywood crowd.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Machine Gun Preacher (2011)
Directed by: Marc Forster
Starring: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Shannon
Machine Gun Preacher is a biopic about a man named Sam Childers (Gerard Butler.) Once a drug-dealing outlaw biker who spent years in prison, Sam finds God and turns his life around. Actually, saying that he turned his life around would be an understatement. Using his carpentry skills, Sam forms a construction company. He uses his construction company to build a church in his community for people like him who want to better their lives; Sam unintentionally becomes the Pastor of the church. On a church mission to Africa, Sam learns of the horrors brought on the people of Northern Uganda and Southern Sudan by Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA.) Vowing to make a difference, Sam uses his construction resources and his own money to finance and build an orphanage in a remote area of Southern Sudan. The moniker of "Machine Gun Preacher" is given to Sam as he also grabs an AK-47 and joins the Sudanese People's Liberation Army to fight the enemy and help free child slaves from the grips of Joseph Kony.
Director Mark Forster, known for powerful films like Monster's Ball (2001) and The Kite Runner (2007), tells a compelling story about one man's impact on a nation. The narrative of the film does not over indulge in the (real-life) violence of the matter, but keeps the viewer interested in the plot by revealing a real-life issue that is drastically affecting the world we live in. Instead of over-emphasizing on the "preaching" of Sam's religious sermons, Gerard Butler instead focuses his character on a man who wants to make the world he lives in a better place because he believes it is his purpose in life and God's will.
With the exception of a few character's such as Sam's mother, Daisy (Kathy Baker), his wife, Lynn (stoically played by Michelle Monaghan), and his drugged-out best friend, Donnie (Michael Shannon), this film features a relatively unknown cast; however, the acting of all parties involved is spectacular. After starring in romantic-comedy flops like The Ugly Truth (2009) and The Bounty Hunter (2010), Gerard Butler has redeemed himself as the rough-and-tumble action star that he was born to play.
Starring: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Shannon
Machine Gun Preacher is a biopic about a man named Sam Childers (Gerard Butler.) Once a drug-dealing outlaw biker who spent years in prison, Sam finds God and turns his life around. Actually, saying that he turned his life around would be an understatement. Using his carpentry skills, Sam forms a construction company. He uses his construction company to build a church in his community for people like him who want to better their lives; Sam unintentionally becomes the Pastor of the church. On a church mission to Africa, Sam learns of the horrors brought on the people of Northern Uganda and Southern Sudan by Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA.) Vowing to make a difference, Sam uses his construction resources and his own money to finance and build an orphanage in a remote area of Southern Sudan. The moniker of "Machine Gun Preacher" is given to Sam as he also grabs an AK-47 and joins the Sudanese People's Liberation Army to fight the enemy and help free child slaves from the grips of Joseph Kony.
Director Mark Forster, known for powerful films like Monster's Ball (2001) and The Kite Runner (2007), tells a compelling story about one man's impact on a nation. The narrative of the film does not over indulge in the (real-life) violence of the matter, but keeps the viewer interested in the plot by revealing a real-life issue that is drastically affecting the world we live in. Instead of over-emphasizing on the "preaching" of Sam's religious sermons, Gerard Butler instead focuses his character on a man who wants to make the world he lives in a better place because he believes it is his purpose in life and God's will.
With the exception of a few character's such as Sam's mother, Daisy (Kathy Baker), his wife, Lynn (stoically played by Michelle Monaghan), and his drugged-out best friend, Donnie (Michael Shannon), this film features a relatively unknown cast; however, the acting of all parties involved is spectacular. After starring in romantic-comedy flops like The Ugly Truth (2009) and The Bounty Hunter (2010), Gerard Butler has redeemed himself as the rough-and-tumble action star that he was born to play.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
21 Jump Street (2012)
Co-directed by: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Ice Cube.
A brief prologue of this film shows Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) in their awkward high school years: Schmidt was the dork who couldn't get the girl, and Jenko was the ever-popular jock. Fast forward to the present time and Schmidt and Jenko find themselves in the Metro City Police Department Academy. The pair quickly become best friends, and help each other graduate the academy. After a brief (and unsuccessful) stint working bicycle patrol, the two cops get assigned to a re-vamped undercover unit from the 1980s, "Jump Street." Schmidt and Jenko pose as teenagers to infiltrate a drug ring at a local high school. The stereo-typical captain in charge of the unit, Dickson (Ice Cube) is more than a little skeptical as to whether or not his new officers can actually get the job done. Schmidt and Jenko find that high-school life has changed dramatically in the seven years since they were there. What was cool then is not cool now, and vise/versa. The once nerdy Schmidt is now seen as cool, and the athletic jock types like Jenko are ostracized by their peers as uncool. The narrative of the film has lots of laughs and action tied into a plot line of self discovery on the parts of both Schmidt and Jenko.
Based on the 1980s television show, 21 Jump Street could have been just another attempt by Hollywood to re-cycle an old idea and trying to make it new. Fortunately, the producers of the film were well aware of that trend, making note of it early in the dialogue of the film. Other than the name itself, and a few cameos by cast members of the original series, this film does an excellent job of not looking like the original series. Both Hill and Tatum have an "Odd Couple" like chemistry in this film. Both actors look way too old to be playing high school kids, and instead of ignoring this fact, the film uses it to its advantage creating some hilarious lines of dialogue.
Being a product of the 80s, anytime I hear that Hollywood is going to re-make an 80s television show into a movie, my interest is always piqued. Nine times out of ten, the end result of the film is a let down; however, this is not the case in 21 Jump Street. The reason why this film succeeds is because it is not a "re-make." This film takes the title of an 80s show and puts a new spin on it. Screen writers Michael Bacall and Jonah Hill gear the narrative of the film to today's audience, but also make sure not to alienate fans of the original series, which makes the film easy for all audiences to relate to it. It should also be noted that in case you have lived in a cave for the last few decades, or were born after the show aired, then you are probably well aware of the fact that the original series launched the careers of many stars, namely Johnny Depp. I'm not going to give anything away, but Johnny is given his proper and much due respect in this film.
Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Ice Cube.
A brief prologue of this film shows Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) in their awkward high school years: Schmidt was the dork who couldn't get the girl, and Jenko was the ever-popular jock. Fast forward to the present time and Schmidt and Jenko find themselves in the Metro City Police Department Academy. The pair quickly become best friends, and help each other graduate the academy. After a brief (and unsuccessful) stint working bicycle patrol, the two cops get assigned to a re-vamped undercover unit from the 1980s, "Jump Street." Schmidt and Jenko pose as teenagers to infiltrate a drug ring at a local high school. The stereo-typical captain in charge of the unit, Dickson (Ice Cube) is more than a little skeptical as to whether or not his new officers can actually get the job done. Schmidt and Jenko find that high-school life has changed dramatically in the seven years since they were there. What was cool then is not cool now, and vise/versa. The once nerdy Schmidt is now seen as cool, and the athletic jock types like Jenko are ostracized by their peers as uncool. The narrative of the film has lots of laughs and action tied into a plot line of self discovery on the parts of both Schmidt and Jenko.
Based on the 1980s television show, 21 Jump Street could have been just another attempt by Hollywood to re-cycle an old idea and trying to make it new. Fortunately, the producers of the film were well aware of that trend, making note of it early in the dialogue of the film. Other than the name itself, and a few cameos by cast members of the original series, this film does an excellent job of not looking like the original series. Both Hill and Tatum have an "Odd Couple" like chemistry in this film. Both actors look way too old to be playing high school kids, and instead of ignoring this fact, the film uses it to its advantage creating some hilarious lines of dialogue.
Being a product of the 80s, anytime I hear that Hollywood is going to re-make an 80s television show into a movie, my interest is always piqued. Nine times out of ten, the end result of the film is a let down; however, this is not the case in 21 Jump Street. The reason why this film succeeds is because it is not a "re-make." This film takes the title of an 80s show and puts a new spin on it. Screen writers Michael Bacall and Jonah Hill gear the narrative of the film to today's audience, but also make sure not to alienate fans of the original series, which makes the film easy for all audiences to relate to it. It should also be noted that in case you have lived in a cave for the last few decades, or were born after the show aired, then you are probably well aware of the fact that the original series launched the careers of many stars, namely Johnny Depp. I'm not going to give anything away, but Johnny is given his proper and much due respect in this film.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012)
Directed by: Lasse Hallstrom
Starring: Ewam McGregor, Emily Blunt, Amr Waked, Kristin Scott Thomas
An extraordinarily rich sheik (Amr Waked) has a vision of bringing his love of salmon fishing to his home country in order to enrich the lives of his local people. Sparing no expense, the sheik contacts his representative to the British Government, Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) and tells her to use whatever means necessary to get the project up and running. Harriet enlists the help of the British government's leading fisheries expert, Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor.) The plot gets another twist when The British Prime Minister's assistant (Kristin Scott Thomas) sees an opportunity to smooth relations between the Yemen and British people by turning the salmon project into a "goodwill" story. What is obvious is that Harriet and Alfred are going to fall in love, even though they are (momentarily) involved with other people. What is not obvious is how the fish will actually get to the Yemen.
While the performances of all characters in the film were good, I was confused as to what genre this film should actually be in. The picture gets lost somewhere between a heart-warming drama and a romantic comedy. There are just too many different plots in this film; a love story between Alfred and Harriet, a "greater good" story with the salmon, and a political story about two countries and their different ways of life. The fly-fishing scenes (combined with a beautiful score) in the film captured the essence of man in touch with nature. As an avid fisherman myself, I found these scenes to be quite enjoyable. Adapted from the novel of the same name, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen has all the ingredients to be a great film, but director Lassee Hallstrom comes up short in making the narrative mesh with the different plots in the story.
Starring: Ewam McGregor, Emily Blunt, Amr Waked, Kristin Scott Thomas
An extraordinarily rich sheik (Amr Waked) has a vision of bringing his love of salmon fishing to his home country in order to enrich the lives of his local people. Sparing no expense, the sheik contacts his representative to the British Government, Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) and tells her to use whatever means necessary to get the project up and running. Harriet enlists the help of the British government's leading fisheries expert, Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor.) The plot gets another twist when The British Prime Minister's assistant (Kristin Scott Thomas) sees an opportunity to smooth relations between the Yemen and British people by turning the salmon project into a "goodwill" story. What is obvious is that Harriet and Alfred are going to fall in love, even though they are (momentarily) involved with other people. What is not obvious is how the fish will actually get to the Yemen.
While the performances of all characters in the film were good, I was confused as to what genre this film should actually be in. The picture gets lost somewhere between a heart-warming drama and a romantic comedy. There are just too many different plots in this film; a love story between Alfred and Harriet, a "greater good" story with the salmon, and a political story about two countries and their different ways of life. The fly-fishing scenes (combined with a beautiful score) in the film captured the essence of man in touch with nature. As an avid fisherman myself, I found these scenes to be quite enjoyable. Adapted from the novel of the same name, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen has all the ingredients to be a great film, but director Lassee Hallstrom comes up short in making the narrative mesh with the different plots in the story.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The Sitter (2011)
Directed by: David Gordon Green
Starring: Jonah Hill, Sam Rockwell, Landry Bender, Max Records, Kevin Hernandez
Slacker Noah Griffith (a pre-weight loss Hill) is a twenty-something year old loser who lives with his mom. He is coerced into babysitting three bratty kids so his mom can go out for the evening. There is eitght year old Blithe, (Landry Bender) who thinks she is a Diva, Slater, (Max Records) who is an overly dramatic thirteen year old boy version of Greta Garbo, and Rodrigo, (Kevin Hernandez) the family's adopted Hispanic teen who has a fascination with fireworks. Misadventures begin almost immediately when Noah gets a call from his girlfriend who promises him sex in return for scoring her drugs. Noah loads the youths into the family mini-van and they set out for New York City in search of drugs for his girlfriend. The babysitter and kids find themselves in trouble with a drug dealer, meet up with some black gangsters who end up becoming their ally, and then the kids and sitter form a bond by the rolling of end credits.
The Sitter is a much like Adventures in Babysitting(1987), only much more raunchy. With lots of sex, drugs, bratty little kids, and a babysitter who is lost in life, this film fails epically on every level imaginable. The most despicable part of the movie is the exploitation of Landry Bender in making her character out to be a grown woman trapped in an eight year old's body. Director David Gordon Green, who once showed promise to be a fine director with his 2003 hit All the Real Girls, has instead chosen to do gross-out and drug-referenced comedies like Pineapple Express (2008) and Your Highness (2011.) I am so very sick and tired of these types of films; they serve no purpose whatsoever.
Starring: Jonah Hill, Sam Rockwell, Landry Bender, Max Records, Kevin Hernandez
Slacker Noah Griffith (a pre-weight loss Hill) is a twenty-something year old loser who lives with his mom. He is coerced into babysitting three bratty kids so his mom can go out for the evening. There is eitght year old Blithe, (Landry Bender) who thinks she is a Diva, Slater, (Max Records) who is an overly dramatic thirteen year old boy version of Greta Garbo, and Rodrigo, (Kevin Hernandez) the family's adopted Hispanic teen who has a fascination with fireworks. Misadventures begin almost immediately when Noah gets a call from his girlfriend who promises him sex in return for scoring her drugs. Noah loads the youths into the family mini-van and they set out for New York City in search of drugs for his girlfriend. The babysitter and kids find themselves in trouble with a drug dealer, meet up with some black gangsters who end up becoming their ally, and then the kids and sitter form a bond by the rolling of end credits.
The Sitter is a much like Adventures in Babysitting(1987), only much more raunchy. With lots of sex, drugs, bratty little kids, and a babysitter who is lost in life, this film fails epically on every level imaginable. The most despicable part of the movie is the exploitation of Landry Bender in making her character out to be a grown woman trapped in an eight year old's body. Director David Gordon Green, who once showed promise to be a fine director with his 2003 hit All the Real Girls, has instead chosen to do gross-out and drug-referenced comedies like Pineapple Express (2008) and Your Highness (2011.) I am so very sick and tired of these types of films; they serve no purpose whatsoever.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Jack and Jill (2011)
Directed by: Dennis Dugan
Starring: Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes, Al Pacino
Jack Sadelstein (Adam Sandler) is a successful ad executive living in Los Angles with his with wife, Erin (Katie Holmes) and two kids. Jack's twin sister, Jill (also Sandler) comes to visit for Thanksgiving and turns Jack's life upside down. Cue Al Pacino into the plot: Jack must try and get Pacino to do a Dunkin Donuts commercial, or he will be out of business. The plot thickens when Pacino develops feelings for Jill after they meet at a L.A. Lakers game.
Ninety one minutes- that's how much of my life was wasted on watching this train-wreck of a film. I have long been a fan of Adam Sandler, but his "Happy-Madison" production of comedy has been played out since Bobby Boucher quit being The Waterboy. The most painful thing to watch in this film is Sandler dressed in drag and trying to play the part of Jill. His nasally, high-pitched voice that he uses for the character of Jill is the same voice that he used for the "come to mama" routine during his stand-up and Saturday Night Live days, and it gets really annoying from the get-go. With enough ad placement to choke a horse, it's obvious that Sandler got paid well for this film that had an 80 million dollar price tag on it. I guess the almighty dollar has a way of overriding any sense of artistic or comedic value.
This film also begs the question on weather or not Al Pacino has officially lost his mind. A serious, award winning actor to his caliber has no business in a film like this. Pacino's accomplishments in film far outweigh this one bad decision, so he can easily recover from this disaster. Sandler, who will never have to worry about money in his life, should start to worry if people will ever take him seriously as an actor. Sandler does in fact have the talent to be a dramatic actor...he has proven it with such films like Punch-Drunk Love (2002) and Reign Over Me (2007.) Why he has decided to stick with the style of humor in this film is beyond me. After starring in Funny People (2009) (which was very much a tribute to the middle-aged comic) I had hoped that Sandler would be done with doing the gross-out comedy of his yesteryears.
Adam Sandler has made millions of dollars on his brand of comedy, and he has brought a lot of laughter along the way. There was a time when his films made people laugh; however, the time has now come for Sandler to ditch the "Happy-Madison" routine because audiences just aren't buying it anymore.
Starring: Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes, Al Pacino
Jack Sadelstein (Adam Sandler) is a successful ad executive living in Los Angles with his with wife, Erin (Katie Holmes) and two kids. Jack's twin sister, Jill (also Sandler) comes to visit for Thanksgiving and turns Jack's life upside down. Cue Al Pacino into the plot: Jack must try and get Pacino to do a Dunkin Donuts commercial, or he will be out of business. The plot thickens when Pacino develops feelings for Jill after they meet at a L.A. Lakers game.
Ninety one minutes- that's how much of my life was wasted on watching this train-wreck of a film. I have long been a fan of Adam Sandler, but his "Happy-Madison" production of comedy has been played out since Bobby Boucher quit being The Waterboy. The most painful thing to watch in this film is Sandler dressed in drag and trying to play the part of Jill. His nasally, high-pitched voice that he uses for the character of Jill is the same voice that he used for the "come to mama" routine during his stand-up and Saturday Night Live days, and it gets really annoying from the get-go. With enough ad placement to choke a horse, it's obvious that Sandler got paid well for this film that had an 80 million dollar price tag on it. I guess the almighty dollar has a way of overriding any sense of artistic or comedic value.
This film also begs the question on weather or not Al Pacino has officially lost his mind. A serious, award winning actor to his caliber has no business in a film like this. Pacino's accomplishments in film far outweigh this one bad decision, so he can easily recover from this disaster. Sandler, who will never have to worry about money in his life, should start to worry if people will ever take him seriously as an actor. Sandler does in fact have the talent to be a dramatic actor...he has proven it with such films like Punch-Drunk Love (2002) and Reign Over Me (2007.) Why he has decided to stick with the style of humor in this film is beyond me. After starring in Funny People (2009) (which was very much a tribute to the middle-aged comic) I had hoped that Sandler would be done with doing the gross-out comedy of his yesteryears.
Adam Sandler has made millions of dollars on his brand of comedy, and he has brought a lot of laughter along the way. There was a time when his films made people laugh; however, the time has now come for Sandler to ditch the "Happy-Madison" routine because audiences just aren't buying it anymore.
My Week with Marilyn (2011)
Directed by: Simon Curtis
Starring: Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Redmayne, Judi Dench, Emma Watson, Dougray Scott
My Week With Marilyn is based on the true story written by Colin Clark in 1956. Twenty four years old athe time, Clark was working as "gopher" and director's assistant for Sir Laurence Olivier. He kept journal on the accounts of his time spent working with Marilyn Monroe on the set of the film, The Prince and the Showgirl (1957.)
The narrative of the film, as told by Clark (Eddie Redmayne), shows how everyone working (most of all, Olivier) on the film is excited to have an international star coming to England to work with them. What ensues, however, is a battle of wills between Monroe (Michelle Williams) and Olivier (Kenneth Branagh.) Laurence Olivier, who was considered British Royalty, and one of the finest actors in the world, despises the fact that Monroe can not act; but cannot help that he is also enamored by her beauty and Charisma. What must be noted is that Monroe, who studied method acting under Lee and Paula Strasberg, was not much of an actress...she was a "film star." After Monroe's husband, playwright Aurthur Miller (Dougray Scott) leaves the set of the production to return home, she seeks the companionship of the naive Colin Clark. Clark is infatuated with Monroe, and obviously in love with her; however, the insecure Monroe views Clark more as a much needed ally, than a lover. After artistic differences between Monroe and the staff of the film come to a boiling point, the production of the The Prince and the Showgirl is brought to a halt. Monroe and Clark spend a week together in seclusion during the time off from the film. While it is led to believe that Monroe and Clark had a love affair, it is not really shown in the plot, nor is it really a necessary part of the narrative. What is shown and more important to the storyline is the close companionship that is developed between Clark and Monroe.
The casting ensemble brings many well known British and American actors together in this film. Kenneth Branagh's role of Laurence Olivier is a relatively small part of the film, but he covers the part well; Ironically, he has often been referred to as "the Laurence Olivier of his time." The relatively unknown Eddie Redmayne does a good job of portraying the shy, innocent nature of Colin Clark. Although Colin Clark is the protagonist of the story, the character is strongly overshadowed by eccentricities of Monroe's character. It can be said that Michelle Williams really does not have "the look" of Marilyn Monroe. While Williams doesn't match Monroe's voluptuous figure, she makes up for it in every other way. From her pouty lips, soft voice, and "wiggle walk," Williams does an excellent job of portraying the seductive demeanor of Marilyn Monroe that makes you look past any flaws in the actual "looks" of her character.
Starring: Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Redmayne, Judi Dench, Emma Watson, Dougray Scott
My Week With Marilyn is based on the true story written by Colin Clark in 1956. Twenty four years old athe time, Clark was working as "gopher" and director's assistant for Sir Laurence Olivier. He kept journal on the accounts of his time spent working with Marilyn Monroe on the set of the film, The Prince and the Showgirl (1957.)
The narrative of the film, as told by Clark (Eddie Redmayne), shows how everyone working (most of all, Olivier) on the film is excited to have an international star coming to England to work with them. What ensues, however, is a battle of wills between Monroe (Michelle Williams) and Olivier (Kenneth Branagh.) Laurence Olivier, who was considered British Royalty, and one of the finest actors in the world, despises the fact that Monroe can not act; but cannot help that he is also enamored by her beauty and Charisma. What must be noted is that Monroe, who studied method acting under Lee and Paula Strasberg, was not much of an actress...she was a "film star." After Monroe's husband, playwright Aurthur Miller (Dougray Scott) leaves the set of the production to return home, she seeks the companionship of the naive Colin Clark. Clark is infatuated with Monroe, and obviously in love with her; however, the insecure Monroe views Clark more as a much needed ally, than a lover. After artistic differences between Monroe and the staff of the film come to a boiling point, the production of the The Prince and the Showgirl is brought to a halt. Monroe and Clark spend a week together in seclusion during the time off from the film. While it is led to believe that Monroe and Clark had a love affair, it is not really shown in the plot, nor is it really a necessary part of the narrative. What is shown and more important to the storyline is the close companionship that is developed between Clark and Monroe.
The casting ensemble brings many well known British and American actors together in this film. Kenneth Branagh's role of Laurence Olivier is a relatively small part of the film, but he covers the part well; Ironically, he has often been referred to as "the Laurence Olivier of his time." The relatively unknown Eddie Redmayne does a good job of portraying the shy, innocent nature of Colin Clark. Although Colin Clark is the protagonist of the story, the character is strongly overshadowed by eccentricities of Monroe's character. It can be said that Michelle Williams really does not have "the look" of Marilyn Monroe. While Williams doesn't match Monroe's voluptuous figure, she makes up for it in every other way. From her pouty lips, soft voice, and "wiggle walk," Williams does an excellent job of portraying the seductive demeanor of Marilyn Monroe that makes you look past any flaws in the actual "looks" of her character.
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