‘Blonde’ is an exploration of the idea of Marilyn Monroe (Ana de Armas is luminous in the lead). It’s as much a biopic of the film star as ‘Elvis’ is a biopic of Elvis Presley. It touches on a series of actual, factual events as a road map, from her movies to her marriages.
But ultimately, it’s a fantasia of fame, which increasingly becomes a hellscape. Director Andrew Dominik writes, "How does an unwanted child deal with becoming the most wanted woman in the world? Does it require her to split herself in half? Turn a dazzling image toward the world, as the unwanted self, suffocates within."
Ambitious film-making.