MarieGabrielle
The only redeeming factor of this film is the early sequence, wherein Mary Haney (veteran actor, ""Little Girl Fly Away"".....and others), plays one of the foster mothers to Marilyn. We can see some of the history and abuse; which is probably never going to be completely analyzed, which led Marilyn to the profession she chose.Ashley Judd is passable as young Norma Jean, but becomes the strident alter ego, which, tritely enough, is part of how the writer of this movie portrays Marilyn's untimely death. The film divides Marilyn into her past and present; with no real compassion or realistic explanation.For the caricature of Marilyn in her superstar era, Mira Sorvino is not a good choice. She is too affected, and at one point you will get a few laughs when she throws spaghetti at former husband Joe DiMaggio. The casting director might have chosen someone less over the top; maybe Joanna Kerns or someone with a more intelligent persona. Although Marilyn, in real life, made it to the top by being a sex symbol; I don't think she was a blithering idiot, as she is portrayed here.One performance which deserves mention is Lindsay Crouse, as Natasha Lytess, the venerable drama coach. She adds some class and talent to this film.As for Marilyn's demise, we will probably never be told the truth, since there were too many unsavory characters taking advantage of her, and she was quite a lonely person, it seems. Read Anthony Summers book about Marilyn, which will give you the real information.At any rate, watch the early part if you are interested in the real Marilyn. Then read the biography by Mr. Summers, or a few other recent books which utilize FACTS. Marilyn's life was sad, but it is even more tragic that she is still portrayed in such a way. She was obviously a woman with some talent and intelligence, especially to have been a successful actress in the era of the 50's and 60's.
Erika V.
(Um. This contains spoilers. I think.)"Norma Jean & Marilyn" is a unique and daring movie considering its subject - the late movie icon and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe, whose life, you might think, has been chewed over and harped on more than any other movie star's in the history of the universe. Yet, new books are published as we speak (or I type, LOL), new documents are made all the time, and, as rare as it is, someone has actually made a movie about her life. Now, you might wonder, who on *earth* would be casted to play this immortal creature, the most beautiful thing that has ever existed (in my subtle opinion)? The film-makers decided to split the immeasurable pressure - to Ashley Judd, also known from her work in the movies "Someone Like You", "Double Jeopardy", "Kiss The Girls", "Frida", and "The Divine Sisters Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood" and to Mira Sorvino of "Mighty Aphrodite" (heh, heh), "Summer Of Sam", "At First Sight" and "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion". Judd plays Norma Jeane (with an "e", mind you) Baker/Mortensen/Dougherty (Monroe was born Mortensen, baptized Baker, and after marriage Dougherty), the brown-haired, naive young girl who wants to be famous. Sorvino, on the other hand, plays the grand movie star Marilyn.The movie itself contains many factual errors and people that did not exist in Marilyn's life, as far as I'm concerned, but manages to capture what some might see as the most important events of her life and career. This includes singing "Happy Birthday" to JFK, her most famous movies, etc. However, the movie only displays her marriages very briefly and her childhood very shallowly and incorrectly. Joe DiMaggio, arguably the love of Marilyn's life, is only shown briefly and all evidence of their newly-formed relationship and planned wedding right before her death are ignored. "Norma Jean and Marilyn" shows Norma Jeane (it's with an "e", dammit!), the young and fragile yet ambitious girl as an all-shagging, calculating, hollow and shallow whore. Which, I'm rather sure, she was not. The movie displays Marilyn, the grown-up movie star, on the other hand, as a drunk-twenty-four-seven, medicine-addicted, thoughtless and unskilled slut. Now, I am not saying she wasn't any of those, since I was born decades later and have/had no connection to her personally, whatsoever, but am saying that the movie completely closed all the alternatives that she was, say, a fragile, love-seeking little girl in a woman's body, with father traumas and a low self-esteem.The movie-makers exaggerate Marilyn's mental troubles and display her death clearly from only their point of view. All possibilities of murder etc. are wiped off. Also Marilyn's maid, Eunice Murray, who has ever since (she did in the 80's, though) been suspected to have had something to do with Marilyn's death, was completely left out of the movie. In the movie, Marilyn's "old self", Norma Jeane, haunts her throughout her adult life, making her insane. This leaves the viewer considering those two as different persons, even though they're supposed to be the same woman post- and sans stardom.But, despite the factual errors etc., "Norma Jean & Marilyn" isn't THAT bad. The two leading actresses do a good job and manage to even remind me of Marilyn by their looks, voice, essence and gestures. The male actors, especially Josh Charles (as a male friend of Marilyn's who, as far as I'm concerned, never excisted) and Ron Rifkin (as Johnny Hyde, Marilyn's agent in the early days of her career), are rather good as well. The script, on the other hand, isn't much to go for and leaves the actors only a few good scenes to carry off. The oversized need to show as many pair of breasts and love scenes as possible tends to annoy while watching the movie. Apparently, to the movie-makers Marilyn's sex appeal and sexuality are both completely presented and pushed into a nutshell in a few pair of tits.But, to sum up... An OK movie, containing with just about as much you can get out of this phenomenal actress and icon into a TV movie. The actors work fine together but the direction and script aren't much to go for. "Norma Jean and Marilyn" isn't a good movie to see when you're just about to start studying Marilyn's life. How about you check out one of her own movies, instead.As a movie, 6/10. As a biographical movie, which, I'm sure, it wasn't even supposed to be, 2/10.
