Somewhere along the line, our fascination with celebrities has overtaken that of superstars. This is no doubt due to the fact that there are no real superstars anymore, certainly not in the field of acting.

Where once we had James Stewart and Cary Grant, we now have Zach Efron and Channing Tatum; Bette Davis and Joan Crawford have been replaced by the likes of Kristen Stewart and Mila Kunis.

It's no wonder then that there's still a fascination for true Hollywood royalty, and you don't get much bigger than the queen of screen sirens Marilyn Monroe.

There have probably been more documentaries made about her life than actual films she made, such is her lasting appeal. Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about Norma Jean, a box full of personal diary entries and letters were discovered, which are the focus of this latest film.

Director Liz Garbus gives a very familiar outline to the stars life, but includes various actresses and actors reading out personal thoughts from the star and about the star from those that knew her. Although these new insights into her state of mind are revealing, some of the actresses involved (including Glenn Close, Viola Davis, Lindsay Lohan, Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood) give a far too theatrical approach to reading out Marilyn's own words. Subtlety is sadly thrown out of the window in favour of too much emoting, which is a shame as the words simply spoken would have been far more powerful.

Thankfully the film doesn't wholly rely on the talking heads, but as its only USP, is somewhat of a let down.

Still, there are some truly beautiful shots featured, as well as some compelling news footage of Marilyn constantly being harangued by the press, that make this a worthwhile view for anyone interested in how a true icon lived. It may be somewhat uneven, yet it still works as a suitable love letter to one of the most famous faces the world has ever known.