• 'Blonde' stars Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe. All photos: Netflix
    'Blonde' stars Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe. All photos: Netflix
  • De Armas's transformation has wowed fans.
    De Armas's transformation has wowed fans.
  • Bobby Cannavale stars as 'the ex-athlete'.
    Bobby Cannavale stars as 'the ex-athlete'.
  • Adrian Brody plays third husband Arthur Miller.
    Adrian Brody plays third husband Arthur Miller.
  • An overhead shot of Monroe arriving at a cinema surrounded by photographers.
    An overhead shot of Monroe arriving at a cinema surrounded by photographers.
  • A behind-the-scenes look at De Armas rehearsing the dance for 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend'.
    A behind-the-scenes look at De Armas rehearsing the dance for 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend'.
  • Netflix says the film 'blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the widening split between her public and private selves'.
    Netflix says the film 'blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the widening split between her public and private selves'.
  • De Armas has brought one of Hollywood's most famous faces back to life.
    De Armas has brought one of Hollywood's most famous faces back to life.
  • The biopic also looks at the darker side of Monroe as she grapples with her fame.
    The biopic also looks at the darker side of Monroe as she grapples with her fame.
  • It is available on Netflix.
    It is available on Netflix.

Culture

Film

'Blonde': why are viewers so upset and disgusted by Marilyn Monroe biopic?

The film, released on Netflix, has been receiving mixed reactions from audiences

Sophie Prideaux
Sophie Prideaux

October 02, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

It may have received a 14-minute standing ovation from audience members after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival last month, but some Netflix viewers are switching Blonde off after 20 minutes.

The Marilyn Monroe biopic, directed by Andrew Dominik and starring Ana de Armas as the lead, is based on Joyce Carol Oates’s fictionalised account of the Hollywood star’s trauma-filled life.

And while film critics have been divided, many viewers have taken to social media to say they found the almost three-hour film unwatchable owing to graphic scenes of abuse, violence and rape.

"Tried to watch @netflix Blonde. Couldn’t stomach more than about 20 minutes of the nearly three-hour length. That 20 minutes was nothing but cruel and heartbreaking. Absolutely unwatchable," one viewer wrote on Twitter.

Another said: "I’ve been watching Blonde for 20 minutes and I’m sick to my stomach."

Another viewer criticised the way a scene of sexual assault had been portrayed. "Started Blonde and turned it off in record time. Graphically showing rape on screen is not in any way a meaningful way to portray the horrors of sexual assault. Please, I’m begging you, leave this woman alone and quit slapping SA survivors and women in the face."

Others branded the film “misogynstic” and said they felt it to be disrespectful to Monroe’s memory.

"Can we all make a collective agreement to leave Marilyn Monroe alone from now on?” wrote one viewer. “She was hounded in life & now hounded in death. I really wanted to respect #Blonde but honestly, acting aside, the whole thing made me feel ill & uncomfortable. Maybe I'm missing something #Netflix."

Actress and model Emily Ratajkowski also spoke out over the film in a recent TikTok video, saying: “So I’ve been hearing a lot about this Marilyn Monroe movie Blonde, which I haven’t seen yet, but I’m not surprised to hear that it’s yet another movie fetishising female pain.”

However, many people watching were quick to praise de Armas’s performance. The actress has been tipped for an Oscar nomination for the role.

"I’ve watched #Blonde. It’s one of the most misogynist films I’ve ever seen,” one viewer wrote. “Not a film about misogyny but a misogynist film. I could weep for Ana de Armas — who was superb — playing in such a vile and exploitative mess. She and MM deserve so much better."

MATCH INFO

Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')

Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')

Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

Scoreline:

Cardiff City 0

Liverpool 2

Wijnaldum 57', Milner 81' (pen)

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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Updated: October 04, 2022, 7:24 AM
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