Ana deArmas’s performance as Marilyn Monroe in Netflix movieBlondehas already gained the actress a lot of attention, and herKnives OutandThe Gray Manco-starChris Evanshas put it on the line that the actress could take a shot at winning an Oscar for her performance as the Hollywood icon. While the movie’sinitial critic reviewshave been almost split directly down the middle, with many unable to decide whether the movie is taking a stance against the exploitation of stars or just becoming part of it, the one thing that has been pretty unanimous is that de Armas has taken her chance to makeBlondea breakout movie and run with it.
Ana de Armas has been very quickly getting herself into some big supporting roles in Hollywood since making her English-speaking debut in the horror movieKnock Knock. Having recently been seen alongside Daniel Craig inNo Time To Die, and set to headline the action-packedJohn Wickspin-offBallerina,Blonde is a completely different type of movie, and as Evans toldVariety, it could well be the making of an already exciting young actress. He said:
“I think this was one of the first opportunities she had to really sink her teeth into something incredibly demanding. I didn’t see one bit of fear; I saw excitement. I remember looking at [her camera test] and saying, ‘OK, that’s Marilyn … where’s your shot? That’s you? Holy sh-t! You’re going to win an Oscar for this!'”
Related:Ana de Armas Says Blonde Cast Asked Marilyn Monroe for ‘Permission’ Ahead of Filming
BlondeControversially Earned NC-17 Rating From the MPA
Blondewill make its debut on Netflix next week, and it comes with an NC-17 rating for “some sexual content,” which is something that puzzled de Armas when the rating was announced by the Motion Picture Association. Whether the movie is deserving of the highest rating is questionable, but de Armas certainly doesn’t feel the rating to be appropriate and believes that the movie does not have the kind of explicit content that other movies of that rating do. She previously said:
“I didn’t understand why that happened. I can tell you a number of shows or movies that are way more explicit with a lot more sexual content than Blonde, but to tell this story it is important to show all these moments in Marilyn’s life that made her end up the way that she did. It needed to be explained. Everyone [in the cast] knew we had to go to uncomfortable places. I wasn’t the only one."
De Armas has recently opened up about her nude scenes in the movie, commenting that they are not something she did for the sake of it, and they are something that she wouldn’t necessarily have done for another movie or for another director. However, it seems that they have been part of the reason for the movie receiving the severe rating, but whether it is justified is something that audiences can make their own minds up about whenBlondearrives on Netflix next week.
