An often difficult watch that is, at best, your cup of tea directorially or not - or at worst, a disgraceful smearing of an icon for the sake of supposed high-brow art.

I lean more to the latter. I'll explain.

Let's put aside the fact it depicts someone who actually lived...

- opaque timeline.
- hokey dialogue.
- overly long yet light on reality.
- over simplistic depiction of a woman who is struggling with several issues.

Now let's add in that it is someone who actually lived.

-unconvincing casting. Ana De Armas is a fine actress, one of the absolute best working today. But two issues here - likeness, not great. Accent - lifts you out of her performance.
- why besmirch her memory with an unfounded threesome... Or belittle her with sexual acts. That they occurred there is no doubt but it only makes her out to be cheap to show them whereas the men involved get away with the depiction almost scot-free.

It's almost unwatchable. I wanted to switch off within 20 minutes but persevered due to opinions from other viewers I highly respect. It just didn't come to life for me - but more so, I didn't get much of the tension or societal commentary that other reviews are pointing to so vehemently.

I just found it underwhelming, poorly constructed and a difficult viewing out of being non-plussed. And Norma Jeane deserved a lot more than that.

Whereas Elvis was a mess for totally different reasons, I'd have to say it is slightly superior to this one in relative terms.

The true irony will be that the Oscars are dominated by both films. Films about people from its own industry that were killed by their own successes and then were 'honored by biopics' in extremely poorly taste.


4/10