Marilyn in Manhattan

Marilyn in Manhattan (1998)

*** (out of 4)

Short (43-minutes) but entertaining documentary takes a look at the time Marilyn Monroe spent in Manhattan while trying to get her career going into a new direction. The documentary really focuses on 1956 through early 1957 as Monroe struck up a friendship with photographer Milton Green and the two quickly started Marilyn Monroe Productions in hopes for the actress to be taken serious. We hear from various people who spent time with Monroe over this year period and we see how much changed thanks to these relationships. We hear from several people who knew Monroe during this period including Amy and Josh Greene, Ben Gazzara, Ellen Burstyn, Donald Spoto and Susan Strasburg. At such a short running time there's nothing that gets too much attention but for the most part I think fans of the actress should enjoy this. We get to hear what a strange year it turned out to be for the actress as she tried to be taken serious and then would end up doing a film with Lawrence Olivier. We hear about the troubled production of that film as well as Monroe's troubled relationship with Joe DiMaggio and Authur Penn. The documentary also talks about some of the final days in her life and even has someone bringing up the theory that someone in the Kennedy family was after her. There's certainly nothing ground-breaking here but it's entertaining and that's the most important thing.

This short documentary features interviews with people who knew Marilyn from about 1954 until her death in 1962 mainly in NYC. It features film clips as well.

I detected only one obvious mistake = a film clip implied by the narrative to take place in late 1957 has a 1961 Cadillac and Rambler in it.

Anyway back to movie. Marylin seems zombied out on barbiturates through out this and frankly I saw no signs of any covert intelligence or hidden acting talent. All you see is the iconic hesitant sugary sweet semi moronic persona which Hollywood perfected (who did that appeal too?!). She should have stayed the dumb blond for as long as it would pay since maybe in fact that is what she was. There are zero signs of anything else in this movie.

The drugs impaired her ability to see these limitations and gave her ambitions she could not possibly fulfill as well as caused her to make unwise choices in business and romance. Apparently she would bed just about anyone (denied in movie) e.g. Yves Montand. All her husbands were homely and she could have had her pick!

Mention is made of a temper and lots of fights occurring so that sugary imbecilic facade could vanish.. Thank God!

The people interviewed are hyping this "finding her true self and talents in New York City myth" also exaggerating her talents; I found these interviews vapid and boring. This movie is contrived nonsense designed to make money off the iconic fame of Monroe.

What she needed was rehab not Manhattan.

It is all so puzzling...yes Marilyn was nice looking but not any more so than you could find by the dozen any sizable town in America; in fact if you study her face her jaw is on the heavy side...she doesn't appear too smart...she can act one role. Amazing what the press can create out of nationally known people who die tragically. James Dean--JFK--Princess Diana

DO NOT RECOMMEND