Ana de Armas' fearless performance deserves a better movie than 'Blonde'

The spread betwixt a prima show and the movie containing it has seldom been wider than successful “Blonde,” which features Ana de Armas stunningly capturing the look and essence of Marilyn Monroe successful the work of a movie that’s pretentious, dense handed and lengthy to the constituent of exhaustion. Netflix volition surely get its money’s worthy attention-wise acknowledgment successful portion to its restrictive NC-17 rating, but the film’s merits pain retired agelong earlier its credits ever roll.

Adapted from Joyce Carol Oates’ caller astir the Hollywood icon by writer-director Andrew Dominik (“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”), the movie works from the premise that not lone did the frozen-in-time star endure due to the fact that of the men astir her, but besides the nine (that is, us) that leered astatine her adjacent successful the pre-Internet age. It’s not a caller instrumentality oregon a incorrect one, but the code is truthful self-conscious and surreal arsenic to blunt those insights.

Blurring information and fiction, “Blonde” begins with the precise young Norma Jeane and her narration with the mentally disturbed parent (Julianne Nicholson) who was forced to springiness her up, returning clip and again to the thought that the she ne'er stopped pining for the begetter she didn’t know, portion seeking to regenerate him with the celebrated men who wooed, wedded and exploited her.

Norma Jeane is yet transformed into Marilyn Monroe, but adjacent past she consistently speaks of her prima persona successful the 3rd person, arsenic if the representation stands isolated and utterly abstracted from the quality being down it.

The irony is that arsenic overmuch arsenic the New Zealand-born manager labors to humanize Marilyn – aft galore movies based connected her life, including respective for tv – this mentation fares champion successful depicting the acquainted representation done replicating scenes from her films. De Armas and the staggering hair/makeup/costume enactment contiguous those moments truthful uncannily (occasionally mixed with footage of Monroe’s co-stars) that you person to blink to marque definite it’s not the existent thing.

Beyond that, the movie gruelingly drags connected done unhappy interludes of the histrion being utilized and abused, oscillating betwixt colour and black-and-white imagery successful a mode that feels arbitrary. Dominik besides distastefully deals with Monroe’s mislaid pregnancies by peeking astatine the fetus wrong her, which becomes symbolic of conscionable however overdone overmuch of the movie is.

Those excesses can’t wholly eclipse the fearless and susceptible quality of de Armas’ portrayal, and she’s astir apt close successful contending that the NC-17 rating (a guidance suggesting lone adults beryllium admitted to theaters) is undeserved, fixed likewise edgy fare that hasn’t received it. Then again, the statement seems connected surer footing contemplating the film’s wide grimness than its sexuality.

Several supporting roles are besides impressive, with Bobby Cannavale and Adrien Brody arsenic Monroe’s husbands Joe DiMaggio (again shown grimacing done “The Seven Year Itch” shoot) and playwright Arthur Miller, respectively.

Still, “Blonde” is astir wholly de Armas’ show, and to the grade it’s worthy sitting done astatine each springiness her each ounce of credit. When she tells DiMaggio, “I’ve been blessed each my life” successful Monroe’s honeyed voice, the prevarication is arsenic unconvincing arsenic it is heartbreaking.

Netflix is providing the movie the now-customary little theatrical tally aft making its debut astatine the Venice Film Festival, but homes are surely wherever it’s astir apt to beryllium watched, particularly fixed its 2 hour, 46 infinitesimal moving time.

In a backstage setting, viewers volition beryllium capable to instrumentality each the breaks they request to upwind the experience, but they won’t beryllium capable to flight the film’s relentlessly lurid, in-your-face approach. Indeed, erstwhile you get past admiring de Armas’ immersion into the role, that’s the lone itch that “Blonde” seems to cognize however to scratch.

“Blonde” premieres September 16 successful prime US theaters and September 28 connected Netflix. It’s rated NC-17.