Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
From her volatile childhood as Norma Jeane, through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements, this reimagined fictional portrait of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the widening split between her public and private selves.
Blonde is a visually audacious and deeply committed film, with Ana de Armas delivering a genuinely exceptional performance that anchors the most emotionally harrowing scenes. Andrew Dominik's cinematography is striking — oscillating between color and black-and-white, aspect ratios, and expressionistic sequences that blur reality and fantasy with real craft. However, the film's plot is a significant weakness: it is episodic to the point of fragmentation, and its relentlessly punishing, voyeuristic tone toward Monroe's trauma grows exhausting and arguably exploitative, undermining its stated empathetic aims. The ending mirrors the film's overall trajectory — bleak and aesthetically considered but emotionally numbing after nearly three hours of sustained suffering. Novelty is moderate — the approach is bold and distinct from standard biopics, but the 'suffering female icon' canvas is well-trodden territory, and the film's provocations feel more stylistic than truly revelatory.