Reviews

First, I will say that Ana de Armas gives a luminous performance in this film as Marilyn Monroe/Norma Jean Baker. You can't take your eyes off her. Unfortunately, the rest of the film frustrated me. First, by starting the narrative in Monroe's childhood and completing it at her death, the film's length meant it skipped over major events in her life. There have been numerous books and films depicting the life of Marilyn Monroe. This one chose to show Monroe's emotional issues as being related to her never having known her father, and then spending her life trying to impress him. This certainly could be a cause of many of her emotional problems, not to mention her tendency to marry older men successful in their own right, but the film was a bit heavy-handed with this theme (for instance, having her call both father-figure husbands "Daddy"). Another cinematic device overused here is the dreamy fantasy sequences, some of which starred Monroe's unborn babies. She either miscarried or aborted 3-4 children (I got a bit lost on this point). Other plot points were confusing, as they were thrown in with little introduction or explanation. For instance, they depict a three-way relationship (which was both friendly and sexual) between Monroe, Edward G. Robinson, Jr. And Charlie Chaplin Jr., (known as Cass). These two men also had huge Daddy issues with their famous fathers.

Bottom line: probably worth seeing if you are a devoted Monroe fan because of the star turn by de Armas, but those who aren't will likely be confused by the amorphous plot.

Note for parents: This film is NOT suitable for children due to explicit nudity and sex.

I liked this episode more than some did, and I like Ted Bessel. However, this episode once again seems to bring up the same questions raised by others in terms of Mary's boyfriends. The amusing parts of the episode are fun - Lou utters a classic line when Ted gets drunk when he notes this was Ted's first time getting falling-down drunk (I apologize if I don't quote the line correctly): "In drinking terms, Ted lost his olive." What frustrated me was that Joe (the character played by Ted Bessel) seemed perfect for Mary. Unlike Dan, who always seemed a bit highbrow to me, Ted was down to earth, smart and funny. At the end of the episode, Mary chooses Joe, but fast forward to the next episode (I believe), and she sees him off on a two-week business trip. After that, Joe is never seen or spoken of again! Once again, we never find out what happened to a guy Mary was seemingly serious about. Other than that, this was a funny episode.

I'm not sure where to start with this - the performances, the direction - but I will say this: If the murders committed by the Manson Family had gone like they had in this film, I would be so happy. But they did not, and I think this movie to some extent makes light of that, which I find unforgivable. I had never seen a Tarantino film before, but had heard they tended to be gratuitously violent, and if this film is any indication, I don't doubt. Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio play their parts well, and to some extent, for laughs. This movie is only peripherally about the Manson murders, and had it been about a washed up film/TV actor and his stunt double, with the murderous hippies being totally fictitious, I might not have been as offended. I liked the soundtrack, and other than the performances, that is about all I liked. Moviemakers would be well advised to remember that using real life murders can re-victimize people still living today.

I call this the considerate volcano, because it gave the main characters so much time to get out of Dodge. I am certainly no expert on volcanos, but my understanding is that once they blow, lava, ash, etc. Would have taken out everyone in the vicinity within seconds to minutes. But, movies and TV often require the willing suspension of disbelief, so I digress. This is a formulaic movie until the very end, when a trace of reality sneaks in. The actors are generally ok, but while I like Kiefer Sutherland, he was completely miscast here as a Roman Senator with a British accent. It is good that the movie is short and almost all action, although it would have been nice to know a bit more about the culture and the backgrounds of the characters. A fairly inoffensive, if uninspiring way to spend 90 minutes.

If this was review was just about the performers, it would get a 10. I watched it because I like true crime. I enjoy seeing how murders are investigated and how murderers are brought to justice. If that had been the focus, I might have rated this more highly. I had heard that the victims' families were upset by this mini-series, and now I know why. It's one thing to make a documentary about a murderer that discusses what happened and how the murderer was caught. It's another thing to re-enact these events in an often disturbing fashion. The question a filmmaker needs to ask him/herself is "why? Why should I make this film? Will it add anything to our knowledge of this subject and perhaps, in doing so, help us know more about how to prevent such things? I found this film to be gratuitous in its depictions of violence and sex. To make matters worse, the film is misleading in that it depicts events that never happened. Filming a true story often involves making up dialogue that no one can accurately reproduce, but this fictionalizes entire situations, such as making the character of Glenda Cleveland, Dahmer's next door neighbor who keeps complaining about the smell (of dead, dismembered victims) coming from his apartment, as well as sounds of people being hurt or killed. She reportedly placed over 50 calls to the police, most of which went unacknowledged. However, in reality she lived in the apartment building next door, and so could not have done much of what was attributed to her in the film. Quite honestly, this brings into question much of what the movie depicts. The film also depicts much racism and homophobia, particularly within the police department. While that may be accurate, it is difficult to know. Anyway, my three stars for this are for the performances. Otherwise, I think this mini-series is gratuitous in its depiction of sex and violence, and irresponsible in its many falsehoods.

Okay. First the good. Bree Williamson is gorgeous and has presence. The little girl who plays Mallie, same.

Now the bad. The plot was a bit confusing. Naming a children's store "Juvenile Shop?" I think her competition must have won the right to name it. Also, the things Karina (and ultimately her husband) did to try and help the little girl came off as a bit stalker-like, really. And saying, "The police would never believe us" is a tired plot device.

Minor gripe: how do television characters living in California manage to afford these nice, big homes? In reality, most people cannot afford them. Especially not Karina's single friend, who is in nursing school!

Bottom line: If you like Lifetime movies, you will probably like this one well enough.