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Cast: Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, James D'Arcy , Oscar Isaac , Richard Coyle
Madonna’s Academy Award® nominated film (2011 Best Achievement in Costume Design, Arianne Phillips) delivers an elegantly stylish and beautifully dramatic look into the lives of two fragile yet passionate women intertwined across the decades. In 1998, New Yorker Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish) becomes enamored with what is believed to be the greatest romance of the 20th century – King Edward VIII’s (James D’Arcy) surrender of the crown for the woman he loved, the chic and charismatic American, Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough). Through a series of secret letters, Wally discovers the lifetime of romance Edward and Wallis shared together.
W. E. is certainly a beautiful film to look at, co-written and directed by Madonna, which deals with the scandalous romance between Edward, the Duke of Windsor, and his American Duchess, twice-divorced Wallis Simpson. The love affair between Simpson and King Edward VIII is a terrific true-life story that resulted in him abdicating the crown and becoming a lifelong exile from the country he had served and loved.
The film tells two parallel stories. One deals with Wally Winthrop an unhappily married woman during the 1990s who is totally obsessed with Wallis Simpson and the other story follows the path of Edward and the woman who caused him to abdicate the throne of England. There's a mixed bag here, the story really works well in it's 1930's setting but since the modern setting dominates much of the story the film suffers as a result.
The entire cast did a great job in playing their characters and Madonna's direction was excellent as well. If nothing else the story is interesting and should attract those that enjoy this type of historical period piece.
I think if they would of just stuck with the 1930's setting and told the story in a straight forward way the result would of been so much better but as it is it's still a pretty good film with a great cast and the settings, costumes and cinematography are all wonderful to look at.
The film is available on DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy. Both come with Special Features that include:
The Making of W.E. featuring Madonna
You can order the DVD HERE and The Blu-ray/DVD Combo-Pack HERE.
Released by Anchor Bay Entertainment
*** Out Of *****