Marilyn Monroe is one of the most iconic actresses of all time. Her fame is transcendent; even people who have never seen one of her movies know

My Week With Marilyn movie poster

"My Week With Marilyn" follows the adventures (and misadventures) of Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), who essentially worked as a PA on the set of "The Prince and the Showgirl," a film Ms. Monroe (Michelle Williams) shot with Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) in the early 1950s. As the movie would tell it, this was a monumental event, distracting the general English population and drawing immense media attention.

Clark, who comes from a well-connected British family, gets a job as "Third Assistant Director" on the set through Olivier, who is apparently a family friend (if only it were that easy for the rest of us!). There, he meets a charming young woman in the costume department (Emma Watson), an endearing elderly star (Judi Dench), and, most importantly, Marilyn Monroe herself. Clark and Monroe make an odd couple, but they get along famously--both literally and figuratively.

The movie is delightful. It never takes itself too seriously, which is refreshing, especially given that it is Academy-fare through and through. The film is quite accessible, probably due to the ubiquitousness of its subject, but it is also smart and self-aware enough to keep an audience who is familiar with the ins and outs of the film industry and acting entertained and on its toes.

The performances are all stellar as well. Eddie Redmayne and Michelle Williams stand out in particular (and so one would hope--as the main characters, they have a lot to carry). Redmayne's Clark could be so easy to hate, especially in the current climate of the 99% and a $18 million failed Kardashian marriage, but Redmayne transcends that, making Clark into an almost shockingly normal and well-adjusted guy. It's easy to see why Marilyn--or anyone, for that matter--would be drawn to him as a friend and confidante.

Williams delivers what may be a career-making performance as the titular vedette. She has tackled a monumental challenge, but she more than delivers. Her performance never comes off as "acting" or someone trying to emulate Marilyn Monroe; Williams simply is Marilyn. She may or may not be historically accurate (alas, this critic is woefully uneducated on the subject of Monroe), but even if the story were full of gross factual inaccuracies, it almost wouldn't matter. The audience gets to see Monroe as a fully fleshed out human beings with flaws, endearing quirks, and insecurities, just like anyone else.

Also noteworthy is Judi Dench. Much like her character, Dame Sybil Thorndike, Dench is seemingly everywhere--one can't turn on the TV or watch a movie without finding her somewhere in it. Dame Thorndike is like the ideal doting grandmother, and provides a nice foil to some of the more bitter personages on the set. The rest of the performances are also quite well done, along with the rest of the film.

As a whole, the film is fantastic. There are a few plot holes here and there, but they fall by the wayside in light of the film's many strengths. Many films try to tap into a realistic essence and make the audience forget they are watching a movie, but few succeed. "My Week With Marilyn," however, leaves the audience feeling privileged for getting a sneak peek into someone else's life--and that someone else just happens to be Marilyn Monroe.

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