Film fans finally have a taste of a much-talked about upcoming with the recent release of a trailer for “My Week with Marilyn“ starring Michelle Williams as the indelible screen icon. Advance buzz says Williams embodies Marilyn Monroe without resorting to mimicry and makes the role her own.
Take a look at the trailer and see for yourself.
The film was directed by Simon Curtis with a script from Adrian Hodges and based on two nonfiction books by Colin Clark that recall the tumultuous backstage turmoil behind the making of 1957’s “The Prince and the Showgirl“ starring Monroe opposite Laurence Olivier.
“Marilyn” costars Kenneth Branaugh as Olivier—the actor-director, like Williams, is the recipient of considerable Oscar buzz—and Eddie Redmayne (“The Pillars of the Earth“) as Colin Clark, with a starry supporting cast that includes Dominic Cooper, Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Julia Ormond, Dougray Scott and “Harry Potter” ingenue Emma Watson.
“Williams’ effervescent portrayal of Monroe starts off as a fairly subdued performance, more about the fact she looks exactly like the ’50s star as she recreates many of her distinctive mannerisms,” notes ComingSoon.net. “Her performance transforms into something far meatier as it shows the divergent sides of her personality, both in the public eye and private.”
“Michelle doing Marilyn is something to see,” purred The Hollywood Reporter, while rival trade publication Variety boasts “the film belongs to Williams, whose tour-de-force turn conflates three Marilyns: the lost, damaged little girl who seeks to escape others’ expectations and return to simpler childhood days; the sexy superstar who impishly poses with a wink in complicity with her public; and the actress playing a pre-scripted part. The genius of the performance lies in the way Williams stresses the interconnectedness of these personalities: The neediness fuels the impudence, the vulnerability turns sexually provocative, and the little girl and sexpot together drive the screen role.” 
The Weinstein Company bought distribution rights to “Marilyn” and recently bumped its early-November release date to Thanksgiving weekend, right in the thick of what is traditionally one of the busiest moviegoing periods of the year. They were emboldened to make the move based on positive early buzz.
CLICK HERE for the official movie website.
CLICK HERE for a brief summary of Clark’s original book.