An abject abdication story
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W.E. (15, 119 mins)
Romance/Drama. Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, James
D'Arcy, Oscar Isaac, Richard Coyle, James Fox, Judy Parfitt,
Laurence Fox, Natalie Dormer. Director: Madonna.
Despite Lady Gaga's sustained attempts to usurp her as the Queen
of Pop, Madonna remains a formidable force of nature in the music
industry.
She boasts the most number one singles in the UK of any female
solo artist and proudly claims the Guinness World Record as the
top-selling female artist of all time with estimated global album
sales of 300 million.
However, repeated attempts to expand her creative empire on to
the stage and screen have proved less fruitful.
Her 2002 West End theatre debut as an art dealer in the comedy
Up For Grabs was underwhelming.
In front of the camera, she has weathered stinging criticism
about her acting with the notable exception of a memorable
portrayal as Evita Peron, which earned her a coveted Golden
Globe.
Her 2008 directorial debut Filth And Wisdom was eviscerated by
the media and now Madonna sets herself up for another fall with her
second feature behind the camera, which explores the tumultuous
romance of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson that rocked the
British monarchy to its foundations.
Co-written by Alek Keshishian, W.E. unfolds initially in 1998
Manhattan where Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish) is trapped in an
abusive marriage to husband William (Richard Coyle).
"I wish we could have sex without the constant need for you to
get pregnant," he sneers after one abortive attempt at
seduction.
Wally becomes obsessed with a Sotheby's auction of precious
trinkets from the Windsor estate belonging to Wallis Simpson
(Andrea Riseborough) and her royal suitor (James D'Arcy).
She becomes a regular visitor to the pre-auction showcase,
seeking sanctuary in flashbacks to Wallis's trials and
tribulations.
Wally imagines Edward's pleas to his parents (James Fox, Judy
Parfitt) and stammering brother Bertie (Laurence Fox) - "I will
always love her. All I can ask is that you do the same" - and the
paparazzi swarm that engulfed the couple's every move.
"You have no idea how hard it is to live out the greatest
romance of the century," laments Wallis to one confidante.
Back at the auction, Russian security guard Evgeni (Oscar Isaac)
catches Wally's eye, offering an escape from her violent and
loveless relationship.
W.E. is peppered with flickers of directorial flair, including a
stunning tracking shot of umbrellas in the rain cocooning Cornish
from a sudden downpour.
Costumes and art direction are impressive - just what you would
expect from a material girl like Madonna.
However, the director's obvious affinity with Simpson - a strong
American woman, whose private affairs were splashed across the
front pages of the voracious British media - clouds her
judgment.
The script is a mess and the 1990s sequences feel laboured.
Despite tour-de-force performances from Riseborough and Cornish,
this snapshot of a bygone era fails to capture our hearts like The
King's Speech, which dealt with the abdication with brevity and
wit.
:: Swearing :: No sex :: Violence :: Rating: 5/10
To find local screenings of W.E., click here.
Wednesday, January 18 2012
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