It’s that time of the year when studios start releasing their awards contenders and potential Oscar hopefuls, and no Golden Baldie-vying film has the Euronews Culture team more excited (so far) than 'Blonde', Netflix’s highly-anticipated Marylin Monroe biopic.
Adapted from Joyce Carol Oates’ speculative novel about the life of one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, 'Blonde' looks like it could be something truly special.
Directed by Andrew Dominik, best known for epic 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford' and the acerbically icky 'Killing Them Softly', it hits the big screen first as part of the Venice Film Festival’s line-up.
As is studio custom, once the Venice contenders have been announced, a new trailer tends to drop quite soon afterwards to keep the hype train running.
And boy, did it drop: the new two-minute clip is promising to say the least, and ever-so-slightly sinister.
Shot in chilling monochrome, it features flashing pap bulbs, agonised screams and the distinct hint of creepy male gaze oozing from the Hollywood studio system, all soundtracked to an eerily slowed down version of Monroe’s 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' hit song ‘Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend’, finally capped off with the tagline: “Watched by all, seen by none”.
Check it out for yourself:
If you don’t have goose bumps or aren’t in the slightest bit intrigued, the Voight-Kampff test may be required.
That being said, 'Blonde' has had its fair share of red flags…
Indeed, it’s not been smooth sailing for Dominik’s long-gestating passion project, with delays (development reportedly began in 2010) and rumoured pushback from Netflix regarding some of the film’s rawer content.
Plus, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single studio in possession of a high-profile biopic often royally mucks it up.
Whether they’re subject / estate-approved, thereby revealing the overall approach to be overly reverent and toothless (see: 'Bohemian Rhapsody'), or simply an overly ambitious gambit that spreads itself too thin by misguidedly attempting to tackle the entirety of a person’s life/career (see: 2021’s Aretha Franklin biopic 'Respect'), biographical films are a tricky subgenre to get right.
But they remain a huge box-office draw and from the look of things, 'Blonde' could very well be that rarest of things for the subgenre: a chronicle of an icon’s life that has teeth and isn’t afraid of delving into the darkness.
One intriguing detail that promises much is the rare NC-17 rating the film has acquired in the US, making it the first Netflix Original film to obtain the adults-only rating.
It’s usually a restrictive tag that most studios tend to shy away from for the sake of wider audience attention and because of strict guidelines studios have to adhere to regarding advertising. This explains why 'Bohemian Rhapsody' cackhandedly sidestepped all the notorious drug-use and wild partying antics of Freddie Mercury.
But enough Rami Malek bashing for one day.
'Blonde' doesn’t seem to be too concerned with playing nice. Even when Netflix insisted on bringing on 'Tenet' editor Jennifer Lame on board to temper some of the film’s raunchier moments, the streamer gave in and allowed Dominik to release his full version.
Dominik was thrilled to colourfully state in an interview with Screen Daily that 'Blonde' is “a demanding movie. If the audience doesn’t like it, that’s the fucking audience’s problem. It’s not running for public office.” He added, in an interview with Vulture, that “there’s something in it to offend everyone.”
While the trailer, somewhat predictably doesn’t reveal some of the graphic sexual content that Netflix execs are having sleepless nights about, lines like “Marilyn Monroe only exists on the screen” do give us a sombre look at some of the thematical content we might be confronted with: the darker sides of the Hollywood dream machine, the fascinating Norma Jeane / Marilyn Monroe dichotomy (buttressed by the use of reflective surfaces), as well as the tantalizing dismantling of overbearing stardom and what it means to be an icon.
At least it sticks to Joyce Carol Oates’ novel, in that it seems to portray the downfall of an innocent woman who was exploited by cruel men, a depiction that can only be better than a sanitized retelling of a life that limits itself to “Wasn’t she iconic?” vapidity.
As if that wasn’t enough, there’s no denying that Ana de Armas, whose star has been on the rise ever since 2019’s 'Knives Out' and last year’s James Bond adventure 'No Time To Die', seems perfect in the titular role.
So, get ready for what will hopefully be a risk-taking exception to the usual biopic dross.
And whatever the end result may be – a future awards contender, a singular take so bold it scares the Academy away, or an overhyped passion project – 'Blonde' is going to be one of the most talked-about films of 2022.
'Blonde' has its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in early September, and will arrive on Netflix on September 28.
The chain restaurant said “volunteers” would earn “five free entrees per shift”
Sunlight magnified on glass bottles till it ignited paper trash, a local fire chief says
STORY: Colombian superstar Shakira could face up to 8 years in prison. That's what a Spanish prosecutor is seeking over a 14.5 million-euro tax fraud case.The singer, who has sold more than 80 million records worldwide with hits like "Hips Don't Lie", rejected a settlement offer from the prosecutor's office to close the case earlier this week.She is accused of failing to pay taxes between 2012 and 2014 -- Shakira says she did not live in Spain during that time.The information revealed in a prosecutor's document, seen by Reuters, argues that Shakira did live in Spain between 2012 and 2014, and in May 2012 bought a family home in Barcelona.The document called for an eight-year prison sentence and a fine of more than 23 million euros if she is found guilty. No date for a trial has been set yet. The terms of the settlement offer have not been disclosed.Shakira's representatives said she "is fully confident of her innocence" and that she considers the case "a total violation of her rights".The singer said she initially paid the 17.2 million euros that the Spanish tax office said she owed, and claims she has no outstanding debt with the tax authorities.
Pope Francis said Saturday the decades-long abuse of Indigenous schoolchildren across Canada amounted to "genocide" as he returned from a six-day trip with an acknowledgement that he needed to slow down his pace of travel -- or could even resign.
The AA said its first ‘amber traffic warning’ remains in place until 7pm on Friday and between 11am and 3pm on Saturday.
‘My behaviour was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk’
It's the inaugural edition of the Tour de France Femmes, the women's edition of the Tour de France.
The water level two nights ago was 10m (30ft) higher than it is now. A little down the valley, Eunice Howard showed us what was left of her home. Eunice's granddaughter, Cortney Clemons, wanted to show us the power of the water.
For US lottery players dreaming of how they'll spend the Mega Millions jackpot of $1.28bn (£1.05bn) it's now time for them to check their numbers. The draw for the nation's third-largest lottery prize was held on Friday. The winning numbers for Friday night's draw were: 13-36-45-57-67, with a Mega Ball of 14.
The final, held at Wembley Stadium, kicks off at 5pm.
Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer sent their best wishes to the team
Embarrassingly, the culture secretary thinks the Midlands need sport in order to make a mark
The has been a sharp increase this year in the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe.
Joe Biden has again tested positive for COVID-19 in what doctors say may be a "rebound" infection. The US president, 79, has "experienced no re-emergence of symptoms and continues to feel quite well", White House physician Dr Kevin O'Connor said. Mr Biden also tested positive nine days ago, on 21 July, when he was said to be "experiencing very mild symptoms".
Scientists say that unlike campaigns to stop COVID-19, mass vaccination against monkeypox won’t be necessary - targeted use of the available doses could shut down the expanding epidemics.
Police in Tempe said they responded to an incident at Arizona Mills mall on Friday evening, July 29.Local media said the mall was evacuated following “reports of a man with a gun.”Tempe Police Department later said no shots were fired and no injuries were reported.Footage published by Anthony DeWitt shows police at the scene. Credit: Anthony DeWitt via Storyful
Southern Water said the temporary ban would come into effect on 5 August
Friday's attack on a barracks housing Ukrainian prisoners of war left at least 50 people dead - while Russia's Embassy in London gets a Twitter warning for 'executions' call.
Rylan Clark has told Tory candidates to 'run the country and stop being a f**king a**ehole' on live TV.Source: The Last Leg, Channel 4
Keir Starmer’s backtracking on nationalisation looks like an excess of caution, when he should be boldly reaping the benefits of Tory disarray