Monroe squeaks by


I enjoyed the movie, Monroe was like a psycho zombie. Can't help thinking how utterly reviting the film could have been with a REAL actress like Shelley Winters. Not many actresses can do CRAZY like Shelley, or Ruth Roman, Gloria Graham. Even someone like Joan Crawford, thought I don't like here that much.

There is no "off" position on the genius switch.

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I hated her character in this (but don't like Monroe at the best of times). This film could do with a remake with a really scary bunny boiler in place!

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I wrote a screenplay and am working with others to get it produced. I felt if it succeeded, I would do a sequel. My story is unintentionally a prequel to this film.

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I have to agree. I think Monroe could act (with the appropriate director), but this wasn't her best effort. It's a shame it wasn't filmed later in her career - this performance was definitely phoned in.

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Sorry, no. Many actresses could have done what she did. It was mainly the director's fault - she should not have acted like a zombie for the first half of the film. She should have acted like a normal girl, with no appearance that anything is wrong. It would have made the dramatic scenes at the end of the movie even more shocking. Monroe can act, that is clear - she had many roles where she is amazing. This is just not one of them. The movie isn't bad and she isn't bad in it, but she's not the only one who could have done this - hence the "phoned in" comment.

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MM was trying to prove she could act, and she did a good job. Hers was a better effort than the rest of the cast, which was lackluster.

I do agree that the direction was bad.

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I am going to have to disagree with most on this post. I thought she gave a phenomenal performance! I couldn't believe she wasn't offered an award for her work in this movie! Her acting in this was especially superb towards the ending when everything was coming to a climax.

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I'm with airwalks, while I don't think the direction was very stellar but there is something really and I mean really believable in her performance especially in this digital age we live in. Maybe because I've seen actual young women today zombified from all the phone activity but Monroe's performance just strikes me believable as she is lost and very confused by the outside world she has inhabited. Monroe understood this part extremely well.

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I think Monroe did an amazing job considering the out of this world hype that surrounded her during this period. Marilyn, more than anyone in the 50's was able to get people to the theaters and away from their TV's. Anne Bancroft stated her experience working with Monroe on this film was one of the most profound and moving in her career. This role was about a sad, lost, but beautiful dreamy girl, and Shelley Winters definitely wasn't that.

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I'm in the camp that Marilyn was no actress. Model? Sure. Actress? NO! I liked your description of her as a zombie. That's a good way of putting it.

I think the problem with this though wasn't entirely Marilyn's fault, which I can't believe I'm actually saying. lol! I think it's the lack of depth of character. We know a few good things about her but she repeats them as though she were a bad text to speech voice, there was no passion there. She seemed dead already so that term zombie really nails it. In any case, the problem screams direction. On the other hand, history tells us what a nightmare it was to direct her. In the end, it was probably a 50/50 thing between Marilyn and the director.

Granted, the movie kept my interest, but it felt staged.

Random Thoughts: http://goo.gl/eXk3O

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Monroe was better suited for screwball comedies like "How To Marry A Millionaire", "Some Like It Hot", "Seven Year Itch", "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "Monkey Business". She wasn't a very good dramatic actress. The only dramatic movie that I liked her in was "River Of No Return" with Robert Mitchum.

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She did a fine job.

Early on it was the direction that kept her performance in check.

She was great in the second half.



"Every time I walk into my office I walk past 5 Lombardi Trophies not 5 rushing titles" .

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Monroe was perfect in this role. Winters? Forget it. Crawford? Too old. Marilyn should have been nominated for an Oscar (and that was back when they still meant something).

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