The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe' on Netflix: As the 60th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's death approaches. The party brings new opportunities to revisit her life and legacy, without really bringing anything new.
Joe is the author of the 1985 book "Goddess" about Monroe. The interview covers a wide range of those who cross their path. Joe directors John Huston and Billy Wilder and his chat with Monroe's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" co-star Jane Russell, hearing the old-Hollywood kickoff.
The documentary undermines that, alas, with the unnecessary wrinkle of lip-syncing the actors' audio to "play" them, a futile attempt to create the impression that the viewer is seeing the other side of those conversations. Given that there is a lot of video and film footage of Monroe weaving in it.
It's an indulgence that's too sweet for its good, adding to a sense of showbiz pizzazz that does nothing to bolster the credibility of the project. In addition, director Emma Cooper devoted the latter half of the film to the "mystery" portion of the title.
Decades of speculation about whether his death in 1962 was a suicide, an accidental overdose or, as Summers puts it, "something more sinister."
Inevitably, that conversation turns to Monroe's alleged relationship with John and Robert F. Kennedy, which has been the subject of a seemingly endless number of documentaries and fascinating (mostly TV) movies over the years.
At the same time, it's hard to avoid a certain sledge factor in conveying what it was, and the cheesy reimages certainly don't help.
There are also some surprising choices, such as showing Monroe singing "Happy Birthday" to the president months before his death, but not including his amusing response.
The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe' on Netflix:
In truth, the Kennedys' emphasis is almost like a distraction from hearing the more intriguing comments.
As such Huston cited Monroe's downward trajectory from "The Asphalt Jungle" to "The Misfits" (which he directed 11 years apart).
Or as Wilder said of his perceived difficulties working with the actress, whom he directed in two of his best films, "The Seven Year Itch" and "Something Like It Hot," "I didn't have a problem with Monroe."
For her part, Monroe spoke in taped interviews about her twin desires to be happy and be a good actress, saying, "You have to work on both of them."
Like other stars who died young, Monroe is frozen in time, with enough intrigue around her and the famous men she fueled conspiracy theories. It ensured that six decades later he remained a media gift, including in a recent CNN documentary.
As a film critic, Christina Newland wrote, "It is extremely difficult for Marilyn Monroe to be seen as a real human being."
In that sense, watching "The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe" serves as a reminder to interpret Elton John's musical tribute, that his candle burned long before his exploits.
The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes will premiere on Netflix on April 27.