Blonde Movie Review - Ana de Armas shines in this biopic that feels like an experiment for experiments' sake

Blonde directed by Andrew Dominik is a fictionalized version of the life of Norma Jeane aka Marilyn Monroe based on the book by Joyce Carol Oates and visually. It is an experimental take on the biopic genre.

The effort put in by the director is clearly visible here but in his pursuit to break the mold Andrew Dominik's version of Monroe feels it embraces only one aspect of her life. In the end, we are left with a portrayal of the iconic actress this does not feel three-dimensional.

Biopics on the life of Hollywood legends who died tragically like Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and Nina Simone also have a mold in which their lives are complete tragedy from start to finish, and while Blonde is true to its source material ultimately this a mold the director could not break.

And while it is important to show the abuse that Marilyn and almost all actresses went threw in the "Golden Age of Hollywood", it feels less impactful because is based on a work of fiction and the overall approach of the movie.

The NC-17 the movie got feels unnecessary because while the movie does have nudity, rape, and acts of violnece it was nowhere near as extreme or tactless as some of its R-rated counterparts.

While it does feel like I am bashing this movie all lot, it does a lot of positives the first being Ana De Armas as Marilyn Monroe, this has to be the best performance of her career as she completely transformed into the yesteryear legend, and it will be no surprise when she gets nominated for best actress at the next academy awards.

The cinematography by Chayse Irvin is exceptional and elevates the movie, especially the way he switches styles between the real and the surreal, the other standout is the music by Nick Cave and Warren Elli.

So overall this biopic isn't for everyone and feels at times like the director flexing his ego but if you like experiments and would like to see the amazing performance from the lead do check it out.

Blonde is currently streaming on Netflix.