Blonde Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs

1. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis' Stirring Musical Score

Dominik's regular collaborators Nick Cave and Warren Ellis return to score Blonde, and as expected they do much of the film's heavy lifting where mood and atmosphere are concerned.

Though much of the film veers off to ironically deploy pre-existing music - such as Monroe's "Bye Bye Baby" shortly after she has an abortion - Cave and Ellis' original score lends undeniable weight and gravitas to Marilyn's tragic journey.

Leaping from unsettling to ethereal and finally devastatingly sad, Cave and Ellis' compositions are typically excellent, especially during the movie's final stretch as Monroe's life comes to an all-too-soon end.

Yet throughout, their work bolsters the film's dynamic soundscape and accentuates the beautiful - and often beautifully ugly - visuals.