I think it’s brilliant, a collapsing kaleidoscope of horror, love and the now seeming predestined march towards oblivion.

Writer/Director Andrew Dominik uses expressionism here deftly and with abundance, while a lot of modern cinema is focused on aesthetic (which I have more and more become repulsed by), he was led by the images of Marilyn, constructing our memories of her and then peaking around the image like Deckard does in Blade Runner.

Those who saw Dominik’s previous narrative feature Killing Them Softly will already know he’s not averse to disregarding subtlety. He’s more than happy to chose the chainsaw over the scalpel if he believes it’s appropriate, moments which could be captured as quiet introspection by another filmmaker are here brought to life in a much more vivid way. The early sex scene between Norma, Cass and Eddy is surreal and ends with a shot transposed over Niagara Falls, it’s this sort of invention which I find so lacking in other films but I also can without question see drawing ire or perhaps even laughs from others.

Ana De Armas is a vision in the film, truly bringing the character to life and towards death with absolute and fierce conviction and belief in Dominik’s vision. Her performance is very powerful and it has to be given she dominates the frame, she’s in practically every frame and she sets it on fire with aplomb while also shining in quiet scenes such as the one with Adrien Brody in the café. I have found myself going back to that scene and watching it over and over again, it’s a quiet and empathetic moment, a vision of what her artistic life could have been, underestimated, misunderstood but patient too.

The design, the cinematography and the performances of the wider cast are all fantastic and of a piece, the music by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is mesmeric and brings a different dimension to the film and is also their best scoring work since their prior collaboration with Dominik on The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford.

The film as a whole is something that I could never 100% recommend to anyone, my own mother included, it is at sometimes the most uncomfortable viewing I have experienced in some time. Those who have written negatively about the film have been very open with their critique and much of it has been interesting to read. I’m not sure if I engaged in conversation with someone who hated that we would have much to talk about , what they dislike about the picture I admire, what they think is abhorrent I think is necessary but I think we would agree that it was a swing and whether Dominik hit or not is up to oneself to decide.

MHHR