The hot Cuban Bongirl Ana de Armas was very much expected with the transformation into Marilyn Monroe, but the closer the release date, the more scenes were revealed, the more skeptical the audience became.
Ana de Armas isn’t the first actress to play Marilyn Monroe, of course, but she’s been the one to get the most attention from before the movie’s release. The hybrid rose born in 1988 is trusted in acting because she has been extremely successful in heavyweight roles such as the nurse Marta of Knives out, making an impression as much as her co-stars are talented actors. Hollywood stars like “James Bond” Daniel Craig or “Captain America” Chris Evans.
Ana de Armas received great expectations for her role as Marilyn Monroe in the movie Blonde.
Audiences were even more excited when the trailer for Blonde was released last month. In the short black and white scene, Ana seems to have recreated Marilyn’s charisma and emotions. The actress sat in front of the mirror, forcing herself to smile even though she was in a miserable mood.
But as the film’s release date approaches, more and more images are revealed by the producer, the more skepticism is raised in the community of movie lovers as well as Marilyn Monroe fans.
The photo comparing Ana de Armas (left) and Marilyn Monroe created a big talk in the movie lover community.
Many people think that at first glance the two photos are identical, but Ana de Armas’ reinterpretation has “trivialized” Marilyn’s iconic image. That difference comes from the way the sign is held, the way the hands pose, the difficulty of the stance, the tension in the body and above all Marilyn’s inimitable expression. Fans pointed out that Marilyn carefully expressed every detail, showed discipline and cared for every fingertip to match the content of the sign.
Ana’s fresh face also completely changed the atmosphere of the photo. There is no longer the mystery, the little dreamy absentmindedness in Marilyn’s eyes as well as the permanent sadness on the face of the beauty icon. Compared to the perfect standard of both skill and artistry that Marilyn created, Ana de Armas suddenly became as arbitrary as a little girl imitating a star.
Some people expressed that the comparison should not be considered because Ana is a creative actress, not a copy of Marilyn. But many argue that this is not creativity but arbitrary and disrespectful to Marilyn’s legacy.
Another reenactment scene from the movie Blonde. Ana (right) is still considered to be far from Marilyn’s charisma.
Besides, Ana’s voice in the newly released official trailer is also criticized for not being like Marilyn, not having the sweetness, timidity and gentleness as the prototype, the pronunciation of the two people is far different. Previously, Ana revealed to The Times of London that it took her 9 months to practice the dialect and adjust her accent to resemble Marilyn. The actress called it terrible torture.
Ana de Armas’ performance is being questioned by the audience.
Marilyn Monroe is not only an actress, a celebrity, a timeless beauty but also an American pop culture icon for decades to date. There have been dozens of films retelling or inspired by her life, dozens of actresses trying with all their talents and beauty just to recreate the ecstatic moments of female stars.
The role of Marilyn Monroe may be too wide shoes for the beautiful and talented actress Ana de Armas. Ana still has the opportunity to prove her acting ability when Blonde is released. But if she has nothing to impress the audience more than the trailer footage, surely a wave of criticism will come again.
The film depicting Marilyn’s life as Blonde, starring Ana de Armas, will compete for the Venice Film Festival in September, then be broadcast on Netflix from September 28.