Hi everyone!
Right off the bat I will say that Madonna's latest (and best) cinematic foray "W.E." is hands-down the most visually beautiful film of 2011. I'll take it one step further to say that "W.E." is, in my opinion, deserving of a spot in my top ten list of best films of 2011.
I'll admit, I'm biased. I've been an unabashed fan of Madonna since the 8th grade so I'm not necessarily known for being totally objective where she's concerned. And I'll be the first to say that "W.E." is not a perfect film. But where it succeeds, it succeeds tremendously. In fact, its successes far exceed its failures, despite what many professional critics have said.
In brief, the film tells two stories that are somewhat, though not always convincingly connected. The first is the story of the American divorcee Wallis Simpson, played with commanding panache by British actress Andrea Riseborough, and King Edward VIII, a suitably bland James D'arcy, who famously abdicated the British throne to marry Ms. Simpson in 1937. (Last year's Oscar winner "The King's Speech" told part of this story.) The second is set in 1998 in Manhattan and tells the story of unhappily married Wally, a somewhat opaque but always stylishly lit Abbie Cornish, who is obsessed with the history of Wallis and Edward for reasons that are never really explained, and spends much of her time wandering around Sotheby's during its auction of W.E. artifacts. She meets a mysterious Russian security guard named Yevgeni, an appealing Oscar Isaac, who happens to play piano and provides Wally comfort and solace away from the increasingly abusive treatment of her husband. This actually all plays a lot better than it sounds, though from a plot perspective, the way Madonna weaves the two together isn't as seamless as one might hope. I wasn't entirely sure what the parallel was supposed to be between the historical Wallis and the fictional Wally, though this being Madonna I'm sure there was a definite subtext. I just couldn't figure it out.
What most impressed me was the attention to detail. This shouldn't come as a surprise because Madonna is well known for the meticulous way in which she approaches every one of her creative endeavors. From the exquisite detailing of the period costumes to the evocative lighting of interiors, the film is a visual feast. This doesn't always serve to the film's benefit, however. In fact, there were moments where I felt as though I was watching an extended high-end perfume commercial, as though Madonna the director were more interested in the beauty of the images she was presenting than the narrative content of some of the scenes. Especially in the early part of the film there seemed to be an over-reliance on quick camera cuts and close-ups that made for a rather ponderous and distracting viewing experience. As the film progressed though, things calmed down a bit and Madonna the director seemed to settle into a more comfortable and assured narrative pace.
"W.E." is clearly a labor of love for Madonna and despite its shortcomings that love is very much in evidence on the screen. It's clear both from the film and interviews that Madonna has given about the film that she strongly identifies with Wallis Simpson. She has said that Wallis is very misunderstood and much maligned in history and that she wanted to portray her as a woman who sacrificed everything to be with the man she loved. As captivating as Ms. Riseborough is as Wallis Simpson--the fact that she wasn't nominated for an Oscar is a shame--I never found her to be sympathetic. Determined, yes. Ambitious, yes. Witty, yes. But sympathetic? No. She claims at one point that she feels bad because she's ruined Edward's life, but she had to have known all along this would be the likely outcome and yet she still married him. She also claims to hate being the center of the media spotlight but I wasn't particularly convinced of this either.
Yet, despite all its flaws and its failure to convince me of its central message or thesis, "W.E." completely won me over. I'll even admit that once or twice a tear came to my eye. While Madonna has never succeeded much as an actress--though her Golden Globe-winning turn as Evita was pretty spectacular--as a screenwriter and director she's pretty damn savvy. This is intelligent high-caliber art house filmmaking. And I can't help but wonder, if this film had been written and directed by anyone other than Madonna, would it have received such a drubbing from the critics? Probably not.
I'll be coming out with my Top Ten Films of 2011 list on Sunday. "W.E." will be on it.
Oh, and be sure to sit through the closing credits for a chance to here Madonna's Golden Globe-winning song "Masterpiece." It, like the film, is a stunner. (It's also going to be featured on her upcoming studio album "M.D.N.A" next month.)
Ciao.
No comments:
Post a Comment