Love, Marilyn

Marilyn Monroe truly was someone who brought herself out of the dirt and made a name for herself. The way she climbed the ladder wasn't the most stunning or ethical, but she did it. She is proof that when you put your mind something and you're willing to do absolutely anything to achieve your dreams you will. However, and perhaps it was her birth parents or her lack of parents at all, her mental illness walked with her throughout her entire life.

As someone who struggles with mental illness, it was fascinating to hear her collection of thoughts, straight from her own writings. It is something that maybe she wouldn't have wanted the world to see, but it does paint a deeper picture of the actress. She wanted more for herself, more than the pretty face and body. She wanted to really and truly act, and perhaps acting was an escape for her.

Her letters are read from different actresses in our time and it really helps tell the tale. They all put themselves in their own specific mental states, and perhaps some of them related to her words more than they'd ever care to share.

Marilyn had a beautiful soul, and those who tried to help her just didn't know how. Had she lived years later, where the medicine and science of the brain was much more developed who knows where she'd be. But unfortunately she didn't.

I don't believe Marilyn purposefully killed herself. I think she wanted the escape the sleeping pills gave her, but one was never enough. They stopped working, she got used to them, and maybe lost track of what was going on. So much happens to your brain when you stop being able to sleep, and it puts you in a terrible mental state.

This documentary leaves you in a rather dark mood, not in a bad way, but in a way that leaves you reflecting on a lot in your own life. You feel sad for the woman who was Marilyn. You wish you could have helped her in some way, or that someone could have helped her. It's an unfortunate ending to someone who had so much drive and ambition in the beginning. I hope wherever she is now, she is finally at peace.

Overall rating; 9/10.