BROADCASTS.com

In adapting Joyce Carol Oates' 2000 novel, Blonde, writer/director Andrew Dominik presents a harrowing portrait of a celebrity caught in a decades-long cycle of mental illness, physical abuse, and exploitation.

Ana de Armas stars as Marilyn Monroe in a nearly three-hour series of sketches pulled from the actress' life, including a traumatic childhood, several failed marriages, two abortions, and one miscarriage--not to mention violent on-set freak-outs and endless visions of leering, pawing, powerful men.

In this spoilerific review, Ian and David break down what works about Blonde as a purely cinematic experience--and take it to task for a relentless mean streak that may leave some audiences members struggling to finish the whole thing, and others struggling to suppress their laughter at the over-the-top (hopefully unintentional) misogyny that categorically defies the filmmaker's intent.

They also talk accents, fact-versus-fiction, and the "real" Marilyn Monroe!

Show Links:

• Watch the Blonde trailer.

• Follow David's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.

• Read Entertainment Weekly's article, "8 Marilyn Monroe Books to Read After You Watch Blonde".

• Read Collider's article on the differences between Oates' novel and Dominik's film (referenced in the discussion).

• Watch Ian's interview with Alexandra Dean, in which they talk about her excellent Paris Hilton documentary, This is Paris (referenced in the discussion).

• Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!