W.E.
W.E. | |
---|---|
![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Madonna |
Written by | Madonna Alek Keshishian |
Produced by | Madonna Kris Thykier |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Hagen Bogdanski |
Edited by | Danny B. Tull |
Music by | Abel Korzeniowski |
Production company | Semtex Films |
Distributed by | Optimum Releasing |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 119 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Budget | £11 million ($15 million)[1] |
Box office | £560,645 ($868,439)[2] |
W.E. (stylised as W./E.) is a 2011 British historical romantic drama film written and directed by Madonna.[3] It stars Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, Oscar Isaac, Richard Coyle and James D'Arcy. The screenplay was co-written by Alek Keshishian, who previously worked with Madonna on her 1991 documentary Truth or Dare and two of her music videos. The film was panned by critics and was a box office bomb.
The film tells the story of two women separated by more than six decades. In 1998, lonely New Yorker Wally Winthrop is obsessed with King Edward VIII's abdication of the British throne for the woman he loved, American divorcée Wallis Simpson. But Wally's research, including several visits to the Sotheby's auction of the Windsor Estate, reveals that the couple's life together was not as perfect as she thought. Weaving back and forth in time, W.E. intertwines Wally's journey of discovery in New York with the story of Wallis and Edward, from the early days of their romance to the unraveling of their lives in the decades that followed.
Plot
Wally Winthrop is a lonely housewife, living in 1998 in New York City. She is neglected by her psychiatrist husband, William Winthrop and finds solace in the love story of King Edward VIII and his lover, Wallis Simpson. Wally travels to the Sotheby's auction of the Windsor Estate, showcasing items used by Wallis and Edward in their lifetime, and reminisces about their relationship.
In 1930, Edward throws a party at his new home in Fort Belvedere, in Windsor Great Park where he meets Wallis through his mistress, Lady Furness. The two develop a mutual attraction, despite Wallis being married to Ernest Simpson, and become lovers while Lady Furness is abroad. Back at Sotheby's, Wally is interrupted by a guard named Evgeni, who takes a liking to her.
Edward and Wallis continue their love affair while touring throughout Europe, where he gives her a number of jewels and assumes the initials W.E. By the end of 1934, Edward is irretrievably besotted with Wallis. He decides to introduce Wallis to his parents, King George V and Queen Mary, but she is portrayed in a bad light by Edward's sister-in-law Elizabeth. A distraught Wallis wants to end the relationship but Edward pacifies her.
In modern day New York, Wally's husband William refuses to try to conceive a child with her and she subsequently starts In vitro fertilisation. Wally gradually becomes attracted to Evgeni and eventually goes on a date with him. She asks Evgeni more about Edward and Wallis's story, while pondering on her relationship with William. After attending an auction at Sotheby's, where she spends ten thousand dollars, Wally returns home to a drunken, confrontational William. He beats Wally, leaving her badly injured on the floor.
The National Government refuses to recognise the relationship of Edward and Wallis because she is a divorcée. On the night of 11 December 1936, Edward broadcasts to the nation and the British Empire explaining his decision to abdicate the throne in favour of his brother Bertie. He says, "I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King, as I would wish to do, without the help and support of the woman I love." Wallis, who has fled to Villa Lou Viei, near Cannes, hears of this and has no choice other than to join Edward.
Back in New York, Evgeni has been trying to phone Wally, who lays unconscious. He runs to her apartment to check on her, finding her injured on the floor. He takes her back to his home in Brooklyn. As she recovers, Wally finds a new hope and direction in life. She falls in love with Evgeni, divorces William and moves on.
Reading a series of letters, kept in millionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed's collection, Wally realises that Wallis was stuck in a relationship with Edward for the rest of her life. An imaginary monologue with Wallis shows the two women discussing the similarity of their lives, but in the end only Wally has found happiness. She leaves behind her fascination with Wallis and Edward's relationship and learns from her doctor that she is pregnant.
Cast
- Abbie Cornish as Wally Winthrop[4]
- Andrea Riseborough as Wallis Simpson[5]
- James D'Arcy as King Edward VIII[5]
- Oscar Isaac as Evgeni[5]
- Richard Coyle as William Winthrop[5]
- David Harbour as Ernest Simpson
- James Fox as King George V[6]
- Judy Parfitt as Queen Mary[7]
- Haluk Bilginer as Mohamed Al-Fayed[7]
- Geoffrey Palmer as Stanley Baldwin[7]
- Natalie Dormer as Queen Elizabeth[8]
- Laurence Fox as Bertie
- Douglas Reith as Lord Brownlow
- Katie McGrath as Thelma, Lady Furness[9]
Production
Development
Madonna had written the script for W.E. with director Alek Keshishian. Her then husband Guy Ritchie helped Madonna with the script and the screenplay, advising her to seek meetings with several actors such as Mark Strong and Toby Kebbell, who both had major roles in Ritchie's last film, RocknRolla.[10] Madonna started writing W.E after she had finished filming her directorial venture, Filth and Wisdom (2008). W.E was actually an idea she had before Filth and Wisdom, but instead she filmed the latter, as she felt that she did not have enough experience to shoot a big-budgeted film like W.E.[11] She described the whole film as a much bigger story:
There are more characters, and three of them basically changed the course of British history. King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to be with an American woman, Wallis Simpson, and that's part of my story, so I've had to do an enormous amount of research and interview people. So I have an enormous responsibility to that, and then I have a responsibility to the actual auction, which really happened. Then there's the new story, the point of view, which is this girl who has this obsession and is going to the auctions and stuff. So it's a much more layered, complicated piece than Filth and Wisdom.[11]
"People have accused Wallis of all kinds of things. They've said that she put a spell on Edward. They've said that she was a hermaphrodite and that he was gay. They've said they were Nazi sympathisers. It's just the usual lynch-mob mentality that descends upon somebody who has something that lots of other people don't have."
—Madonna, speaking in May 2010 about the allegations against Wallis Simpson.[8]
After the writing began, Madonna realised that she needed help as the subject was vast.[11] She enlisted the help of Keshishian, who was well acquainted with Madonna after directing her 1991 documentary Truth or Dare (aka In Bed with Madonna) and two of her music video clips. The writing process was dynamic, with Madonna and Keshishian e-mailing their developed scripts to each other, or through telephone conversations and also by writing on each other's laptop.[11] W.E. was initially reported to be a musical about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Edward and Simpson. However, Madonna confirmed that although they are in the film, the main story was not about them. It was about a woman called Wally Winthrop, a young married New Yorker in 1998 who is obsessed with what she perceived as the ultimate romantic love story—Edward's abdication of the royal throne for his love of Simpson.[5] The character of Simpson acted as a spiritual guide for Winthrop, in the film. The timeline presented in the film ranges from pre-World War II England (1936–37) to New York in 1998, and the storyline swaps between these two eras. Madonna decided to use the Sotheby's auction of Edward and Simpson's estate in 1998, to flash backward from.[11]
Madonna's inspiration to direct the film came from the controversial lives of Edward and Simpson.[11] She recalled from her experience that if she brought up King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson at a dinner party or a social gathering, "it's like throwing a Molotov cocktail into the room. Everyone erupts into an argument about who they were. I mean, they were very controversial – and continue to be. So, of course, I'm very attracted to that."[12] She investigated the history behind the abdication and tried to understand what led Edward to leave his royal throne.[13] The singer spent two years researching the life of Simpson and writing the script. She wallpapered an empty room in her house with pictures from auction catalogues and photographs of the Duke and Duchess throughout their lives.[14] "I was sitting in a room that was completely and utterly inundated with their images so I could soak up their energy. I was trying to understand the nature of their love story and trying to figure out for myself if there is such a thing as perfect love," she said.[14] However, not interested in making a biopic about Simpson, Madonna created the modern-day story about the character Wally Winthrop, so that she could have a point of view in which to tell the narrative. She explained later: "We can all read the same history book and have a different point of view. So it was important for me to not present the story and say, 'This is the one and only story,' but to say, 'This story moved me and inspired me.' That's how the two love stories were created."[13] One of the first characters that Madonna developed for the film was a Russian immigrant living in Brooklyn and working in Manhattan, called Evgeni. The character was inspired by Eugene Hütz, who played the lead role in Filth and Wisdom.[11] Another motivation behind the project was the celebrity aspect of Edward and Simpson, who became the subject of intense media scrutiny and public vilification and were ostracised by the Royal Family.[13] Madonna, being interested in the cult of celebrity, found that many of the rumors surrounding Simpson's life are untrue and she could not find any empirical evidence supporting them.[13] Hence she wanted to portray Simpson as a human being with flaws, imperfections and a vulnerable side. "The message of the film is to realise that in the end happiness lies in your own head and that we are in fact in charge of our destiny," she said.[13]
Costumes
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Stephen_Jones_%281%29.jpg/170px-Stephen_Jones_%281%29.jpg)
After finishing the script and starting work on casting and production, Madonna realised that the budget of film was going to be high. Simpson's character had around 80 costume changes with dresses by designers like Balenciaga, Christian Dior, Madeleine Vionnet and Elsa Schiaparelli. Most of the actual dresses were kept in museum archives, hence unobtainable to Madonna. Instead, many of the couture houses offered to create the dresses for her.[11] While casting for the film, she asked for a Michael O'Connor wedding dress, in display at the National Museum of Costume in Scotland, for a scene where Riseborough would wear it.[15] National Museum of Costume general manager Margaret Roberts said they were happy to send the dress to Madonna. "Our Marriage in the Movies exhibition is packed with fabulous gowns that tell a story not only about the history of the period they represent, but also of Hollywood glamour and style," she said. [...] This is a dress that was made for the movies, so when we received the request from Madonna's production company, we were only too happy to oblige."[15] Other fashion designers working for the film included John Galliano and Issa, who provided clothes, Pierre Cartier the jewels, and Stephen Jones the hats.[12]
She also enlisted costume designer Arianne Phillips to create the dresses for the film. The costumes designed were a combination of real vintage pieces, others were remade based on patterns that were obtained out of the museum archives, and the rest had to be freshly made.[11] In an interview with W magazine in November 2011, Philips explained that she "started doing research in 2009, a year before [W.E.] began filming... To me, Wallis Simpson was a style icon, but I didn’t know she was a couture client well before she met Edward. She was also a hungry whore for jewelry. Edward gave Wallis jewelry to make her feel royal. My first task was figuring out how to re-create those famous gifts."[16] Madonna had sent a box of her research to Phillips, so that the designer could get a head start for the project.[17] The singer understood the kind of attention to detail needed to create the costumes, drawing from her own garments which included couture. Phillips then researched the clothes on display at fashion departments of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York, the Musée de la Mode et du Textile in Paris and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.[17] She then went to Los Angeles, where retailer Doris Raymond, from The Way We Wore had opened up her personal library of 1930s couture. There Phillips watched old newsreels from the University of California archives.[17] Once filming started, the designer moved in Madonna's guesthouse in London, where they would watch the shot reels together and scrutinise the dresses.[17] Phillips established contacts with designer labels like Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels to replicate a cross bracelet and ten other pieces.[16] For the gowns, undergarments, and dresses needed for the 60 costume changes in the film, Phillips scoured the archives of Vionnet and Schiaparelli; then with the cooperation of both houses she redesigned Simpson's clothing. The first dress in which Riseborough appeared as Simpson in the film was a re-creation of the dress owned by Simpson herself. Phillips decked the dresses with diamond bow brooch at the neck and paired with organza skirts, and was able to obtain duplicates for some of them from Cos Prop, a costume shop in London.[17]
Some of the pieces that the duchess actually ordered I thought were hideous. Those wouldn’t work for the movie, so we modified and invented. Wallis wasn’t pretty; she was handsome, at best. In England, it was noted over and over how unattractive she was. But Wallis was a lot of fun—very entertaining. She had a freedom to her that was definitely reflected in her clothes; the duchess was all about presentation. And that became her refuge, and her prison.[16]
According to Phillips, Edward's choice of clothes were specific and he rebelled against what his father dictated as the protocol for dresses. He used to wear navy blue tails, rather than black ones, as formalwear.[17] The designer was able to see the original ones he owned at the National Museum of Costume. To re-create the look, Phillips contacted luxury goods company Alfred Dunhill who had an understanding of bespoke tailoring available in London's Savile Row.[17] They provided Phillips with tailor, wools and fabrics from the mills that had created the original fabrics for Edward himself. Phillips tailored the baggy looks of the 1930s suits, to make them appealing for the contemporary audience. In the end, all the costumes were hand-made, with a total of 60 costumes being created for Simpson and 30 for Edward.[17]
Casting
Madonna started work on the casting of W.E after coming back from Africa, where she had worked on her Raising Malawi initiative.[11] She recalled how she found the task of casting actors for different parts as difficult, since many of them would refuse to sign for a particular role. Madonna contrasted the process of film casting with her task of making a new album, where she can easily choose the people she wants to work with.[11] Abbie Cornish was signed to play the part of Wally Winthrop, while King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson were played by James D'Arcy and Andrea Riseborough, respectively. Winthrop's Russian love interest Evgeni was played by Oscar Isaac and her husband William was played by Richard Coyle.[5] Actress Vera Farmiga was initially asked for the role of Simpson but later withdrew when she became pregnant.[18]
Madonna had seen Riseborough as a young Margaret Thatcher in the BBC film The Long Walk to Finchley, and confirmed her to play Simpson. "I was looking for a certain quality: something fragile, androgynous and yet feminine in a really old-fashioned way. When I saw Andrea, I knew immediately she was the one," she added.[14] Cornish commented on her role as Winthrop, "Madonna is a strong, independent woman who doesn't need a man to define her – and that's admirable. She's studied every aspect of what happened with Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII. [...] It's a fascinating insight into class and romance. Madonna's created a contemporary woman—who I will play—called Wally, who is fascinated by what happened to Mrs. Simpson."[4][18] Madonna's daughter Lourdes was offered a part, but Madonna decided against the idea.[19] However, she later allowed Lourdes to appear for a minor role in the film.[20] The part she played was later confirmed by Cornish in an interview in March 2011 as the younger self of her character Wally Winthrop.[21]
Ewan McGregor was offered the part of King Edward VIII,[22] but was later replaced by James D'Arcy.[7][23] Additionally, producer David Parfitt and casting director Nina Gold also quit W.E., with sources claiming that the duo had "creative differences" with Madonna and found that she struggled to "collaborate and delegate".[24] Actress Margo Stilley was to play the role of Lady Thelma Furness, but left the project, citing "artistic differences" with Madonna. Stilley said: "I had the role, but we had artistic differences. She (Madonna) is really something. I wish the cast luck because they are all really talented."[25] In her place, Katie McGrath joined the cast.[9] Judy Parfitt was signed to portray Queen Mary and Geoffrey Palmer as Stanley Baldwin.[7] Real-life father and son James and Laurence Fox were signed to the parts of King George V and his son, Bertie—Edward's younger brother.[6] BBC reported that members of the London Welsh Center expressed interest in appearing for a scene in the film, which involves Edward being shocked at the living conditions in Welsh mining villages. A spokesperson for the centre, which was contacted by the film's casting agency, said: "I've had about 15 phone calls this morning, and yesterday was bedlam because everybody wants to be in a film with Madonna." The centre said Welsh-speakers were needed as extras to create scenes based on Edward's visits to the south Wales valleys in the 1930s.[26] Actress Natalie Dormer was cast to play the part of a young Queen Elizabeth (Queen Mother). Dormer reflected on the role, saying: "This country tends to remember the Queen Mother as a rather wrinkly 97-year-old, but I am playing her when she was quite an enchanting, engaging twenty- and thirty-something. [...] She was quite a savage and savvy game player."[8] Dormer's assertion of the role was confirmed by royal historian Hugo Vickers, who was sought by Madonna to advise her on the characteristics of the different members of the royal family. He confirmed that Madonna was portraying the Queen Mother as an unfavorable influence on the relationship between Edward VIII and Simpson.[27]
Filming
"I directed Filth & Wisdom to teach myself about filmmaking... And now, with this self-punishing process of being a producer and a writer and a director, I'm taking the next step."
—Madonna on her decision to direct W.E.[28]
Madonna wanted to shoot the film in certain locations where the British Royal family reside. A representative from her commented: "Madonna is keen to make the film as authentic as possible and would be very grateful if we are allowed to film at certain locations, She loves the UK and holds the Queen in the highest regard."[29][30] Madonna decided to move back to the United Kingdom as the film would take six months to shoot.[31] The budget of the film is £18 million ($36 million).[32] Shooting began on July 5, 2010, and locations included London and Home Counties, with forays in New York and France.[33] The Daily Mail reported that Madonna chose a pub in Kensington in west London, on July 21, 2010, to shoot some scenes for the film. She chose the top two floors of The Abingdon Pub, and worked for almost five hours there.[20] This was followed by shooting scenes in the Club Quarters of Trafalgar Square on July 26, 2010.[34] Other places where filming took place include the Stoke Park Country Club, Spa and Hotel in Buckinghamshire.[35]
Then filming moved to France, where on July 29, 2010, Madonna shot scenes with D'Arcy and Riseborough in Palm Beach in Marseille, south of France and on the port of Villefranche-sur-Mer on July 30, 2010.[36] Scenes were also shot at the Hotel Le Meurice, with Cornish in a new look consisting of dyed black hair, pale skin and a fitted black dress.[37] She shot footage of a ten-second bath scene for the film.[38] While shooting with Riseborough, Madonna and her team approached jewellery company Cartier to create copies of Simpson's extensive gem collection, which Riseborough had to wear during filming. However, one of the bracelets slipped off from Riseborough's arm while shooting, and was lost in the Mediterranean Sea. Madonna had to immediately order for replicating the jewellrey.[39] Designer Arianne Phillips described the filming which involved the original jewelry of Simpson:
We were able to use archival pieces from Van Cleef & Arpels, which came with a revolving door of security guards. The jewelry schedule was very complicated, because pieces had to go from Switzerland to Paris, and the shooting schedule was changing constantly. It was really a house of cards. There were a couple of times we got caught, scenes got moved up, and lucky for me, Madonna was able to make available her personal jewelry. When you see Wallis spraying the flowers with perfume, her black and white pearl and diamond Bulgari earrings are Madonna's.[17]
In September, Madonna shot some scenes involving Lourdes. Shooting took place around Mayfair, outside the hotel Claridge's, as well as in a set of Downing Street, created in Aldwych. Lourdes's scenes required her to be dressed as a schoolgirl.[40] The same month, filming moved to New York, where Madonna shot scenes in Brooklyn.[32] A dance sequence was shot where D'Arcy had to do a ballet, but he did not know how to do it and was requested by Madonna to learn the steps. D'Arcy described the sequence as "this extraordinary beautiful dance with lifts and twirls and I can't do that, but you do because she [Madonna] somehow makes the impossible possible and it gives you amazing self esteem when you do these things." Although the dance scene did not make the final cut of the film, Madonna also asked D'Arcy to learn to play bagpipes in six weeks and to ride horses.[41]
Soundtrack
Polish composer Abel Korzeniowski created the music for the film.[42][43] Madonna had heard Korzeniowski's work on the soundtrack for the 2009 drama film, A Single Man. The singer recalled that she was "struck by the score's 'bittersweet' qualities, this melancholic, romantic, sweeping emotional kind of heartbreaking beauty."[44] She asked the film's director, fashion designer Tom Ford, about Korzeniowski and after she received positive feedback about him, she decided to sign Korzeniowski for composing W.E.'s score.[44] Previously, Madonna had included parts of the score from A Single Man into the rough cut for W.E., as well as in some of the screenplay.[44] The score predominantly features usage of strings, accompanied by electric guitar, harp, viola and piano. The combination of traditional and modern instrumentation was used to bridge the two different time-periods portrayed in the film.[44]
Korzeniowski and conductor Terry Davies recorded a 60-piece orchestra at London's Abbey Road Studios in April 2011, concentrating on purely the emotional states of the characters, and did not concern himself too much with differentiating the periods of the film.[44][45] In an interview with Variety, the composer said that for the scenes featuring Simpson, he tried to make the score be more modern than the scenes featuring Winthrop.[44] Madonna wanted Korzeniowski to keep the score simple and direct. She felt that Korzeniowski being a classically trained musician, he would be cerebral in his approach to music and would over complicate the score.[44] "It is not the type of score where you go through crazy harmonic changes and modulations," said the composer. "This was one of the very precise notes I got from Madonna, that I was not supposed to over-think this music."[44] The main inspiration behind the score was the irrational love as portrayed in the film, which Korzeniowski said could be "just an illusion". He wanted the music to reflect those powerful and conflicting emotions through the melodies, repeating between despair and sorrow, and hope and joy.[45]
Madonna contributed a new song titled "Masterpiece" for the soundtrack, composed by herself, Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry, while produced by Orbit.[46] In the song, she sings about the pain of being in love with someone who is a great work of art, with the lyrics going like "If you were the Mona Lisa, You'd be hanging in the Louvre, Everyone would come to see you, You'd be impossible to move."[47] A writer from Billboard described "Masterpiece" as a slowed-down, moody ballad that showcases strong execution of vocals from Madonna. He described the production as "simple, direct and reminiscent of her sound in the 1990s". The lyrics were described as emotional, and was comparable to the film's love story, with the chorus going on like: "And I'm right by your side, Like a thief in the night, I stand in front of a masterpiece. And I can't tell you why it hurts so much to be in love with a masterpiece."[48] The song plays over the end credits of W.E. and would be included in Madonna's upcoming album, MDNA.[47] The soundtrack was released digitally through Interscope Records, on January 31, 2012.[45]
Track list
All music is composed by Abel Korzeniowski except "Masterpiece"[49]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Charms" | 4:03 | |
2. | "Duchess Of Windsor" | 3:09 | |
3. | "Revolving Door" | 4:19 | |
4. | "I Will Follow You" | 2:32 | |
5. | "Abdication" | 5:22 | |
6. | "Six Hours" | 3:30 | |
7. | "Brooklyn Faces" | 4:53 | |
8. | "Evgeni's Waltz" | 3:34 | |
9. | "Satin Birds" | 4:29 | |
10. | "Letters" | 4:19 | |
11. | "Dance For Me Wallis" | 3:08 | |
12. | "Masterpiece" (performed by Madonna, appears on her twelfth studio album, MDNA) |
| 3:58 |
Total length: | 47:16 |
Promotion and release
![A blond woman smiling and looking down.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Madonna_Toronto_Film_Festival.jpg/170px-Madonna_Toronto_Film_Festival.jpg)
In February 2011, Madonna held a private screening of the film's trailer at the Berlin Film Festival. The attendance included a Q&A session from Madonna and was intended to sell the film to distributors.[50] The rights were acquired by Optimum Releasing for the UK market, The Weinstein Company for the US release and Village Roadshow for Australia and New Zealand.[51][52] Weinstein promoted the film as Madonna's first full-length directorial venture, since her previous directed film, Filth and Wisdom, was considered a short film by them for its runtime of 81 minutes.[52] Madonna had hoped to premiere the film at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, but could not do so since she was still making finishing touches to the soundtrack and there were three weeks more of post-production to complete before the film was ready to be screened to an international audience. A representative for the film festival said that, "[w]hile the movie's distributors will attend the festival, they will preview select cuts to buyers at private screenings instead of showing the entire feature."[53] The Daily Mail columnist Baz Bamingboye reported that W.E. would be premiered at the 2011 Venice Film Festival, where it would be screened out of the competition.[54][55] W.E. was shown at the festival on September 1, 2011, with Madonna attending the premiere, along with the principal cast.[56] Other film festivals where W.E. was shown included the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival in the same month.[28][57] Along with the film festivals, still images from W.E. were released in the September 2011 issue of Vanity Fair magazine.[58]
The official poster featured D'Arcy carrying Riseborough on his back in a romantic pose. David Wharton from Cinema Blend was not impressed with the poster, saying that although he felt it was "artfully" done, "It's the sort of thing the movie industry does all the time on their posters, just like the 'floating heads' trope or the 'looking through somebody's legs' pose. [B]ut I'm a sucker for a well-done movie poster, and this just seems lazy."[59] A second poster was also released, which again featured Riseborough and D'Arcy as Wallis and Edward, about to kiss on a beach. Written on the top left of the poster is the following line: "One of the greatest love stories of all time, the king who gave up his throne for the woman he loved."[60] Throughout January 2012, Madonna appeared on two different television shows and talked about the film. She first appeared on the ABC show called Nightline, where she chatted with the host Cynthia McFadden about W.E.[61] Then she appeared on The Graham Norton Show in the United Kingdom, where she was accompanied by D'Arcy and Riseborough.[62] The UK and US premiere for the film took place on January 11 and 23, 2012, respectively.[63][64]
Madonna had secured backing from Indian billionaire Anil Ambani's IM Global film financiers. A correspondent for Madonna said that they were looking towards a London premiere late 2011 or early 2012—the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year—which Madonna hoped would allow the film to capitalise on its royal theme. A spokesman for Optimum Releasing, the film's UK distributor, said: "The film was not due to be shown in Cannes. It is in post-production and will now be released early next year."[53] Weinstein Company announced in June 2011, that they planned to release W.E. on December 9, 2011, in the United States. It will open in New York and Los Angeles on the said date, expanding to additional markets throughout the month, before the wide release intended for mid-January. Harvey Weinstein, head of The Weinstein Company, said of the release date: "Madonna beautifully interweaves past and present in W.E., It's a very smart film, and a stunning directorial debut. I'm incredibly excited about this movie and I wanted to give it a prominent release date."[65] After the showcase of the film in Venice and Toronto film festivals, Weinstein decided to cut the time of the film by about ten minutes. Talk of making changes began in advance of the Toronto showcase, and after negotiating with Madonna, they finally decided to remove around ten minutes from the film.[66] Plans were changed later and Weinstein confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the film would have only a limited, one-week run beginning on December 9, 2011, before opening wide on February 3, 2012.[67]
Reception
Critical response
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Madonna_%40_69th_Annual_Golden_Globes_Awards_01_cropped.jpg/170px-Madonna_%40_69th_Annual_Golden_Globes_Awards_01_cropped.jpg)
After its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, it received mixed reviews. Some news sources reported that "critics were completely divided on their opinions".[68] When nine reviews of the critics who had seen the film in Venice were tabulated, The Huffington Post gave the film the overall critical score of D.[69] Steve Pond of Reuters theorised that W.E. probably would not help in "turning Madonna's faltering movie career".[70] Kyle Buchanan of New York wondered whether W.E. would receive any significant film related awards, as predicted by industry prognosticators. He concluded that the film "still may [receive awards], but to judge from some of the vicious pans coming out of Venice today, it might have longer legs as a Razzie front-runner."[71] Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye gave the film a mostly positive review, saying that "A lot of people will loathe it, simply because it’s been made by Madonna. But if people were to watch it with no knowledge of who directed, they would be pleasantly surprised. They might even find much of it enjoyable."[72] David Gritten of The Daily Telegraph gave the film three stars and a mixed review stating that, "Madonna's W.E. is a bold and confident story about an American woman's obsession with the Windsors." Gritten complimented Riseborough and Cornish's acting but felt that the film looked like a commercial of expensive items, thus making it appeal to younger women for its fashion portrayal.[73]
Negative reviews came from Xan Brooks of The Guardian, who gave the film one star, describing it as "a primped and simpering folly, the turkey that dreamed it was a peacock. Brooks predicted that the film "may even surpass 2008's Filth and Wisdom, Madonna's calamitous first outing as a film-maker. Her direction is so all over the shop that it barely qualifies as direction at all." Pointing out a scene, he added that "Madonna has Wallis bound on stage to dance with a Masai tribesman while Pretty Vacant blares on the soundtrack. But why? What point is she making? That social-climbing Wallis-Simpson was the world's first punk-rocker?"[74] Todd McCarthy from The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the film resembled a documentary of a woman out on a shopping expedition. McCarthy felt that the storyline was especially dreary during the portrayal of the love affair between Wally and Evgeni. "For the audience, Wally, despite Cornish's gentle and warm presence, offers very little in terms of personal interest or as a key into the world of one of the last century's most discussed couples." However, McCarthy praised cinematographer Hagen Bogdaski's work.[75] Oliver Lyttelton of indieWire also slammed the film stating that "the use of music is horrible" and "We’ve never looked forward to Madonna going back on tour more, if only because it means that we’ll know, for certain, that she won’t be using that time to direct another movie."[76] Emma Pritchard from Grazia added that "Wallis Simpson was the kind of woman who was accused of being more style than substance – and that, alas, is what Madonna has recreated on screen with W.E."[77] Mark Adams of Screen Daily singled out Riseborough's performance as a "highlight", but overall felt that the film was disappointing.[78] Leslie Felperin from Variety was disappointed in the film, saying that it is "burdened with risible dialogue and weak performances". Felperin felt that the reason for the film's downfall was its script, which attended to the costumes and fashion more than the actual story, which she felt had much potential, but was unused.[79]
After its release, W.E. again faced negative reviews. Currently on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of just 13%, being certified "rotten" by critics out of 109 reviews.[80] It also has a Metacritic score of 36/100, indicating generally unfavorable reviews.[81]
Colin Kennedy from Metro called the film "disastrous", noting the film's "judicious casting and handsome design [were] marred by a callow director’s shaky shot selection."[82] Adam Woodward of Little White Lies panned the film as "an arrogant vanity project rendered laughable by its kitschy sycophancy."[83] Simon Reynolds of Digital Spy described the film as "impeccably turned out with exquisite costume design", but felt it is "barely enough to disguise its wildly inconsistent tone, chop-change visual style and snoozy performances."[84] Dan Carrier of Camden New Journal gave the film one out of five stars, saying that W.E. is "a horrible film to watch" and that Madonna "should never be allowed to go anywhere near a director’s camera again."[85]
Positive review came from Diego Costa of Slant Magazine, who gave the film three out of four stars. He described the film as "a shameless visual pleasure", adding that it is a "perfectly fine piece of oneiric cinema. It puts forth, in fact, a kind of filmic écriture feminine so unabashedly consumed by "the look" and its world of artifices that we'd have to recognise, if we were to be critically fair and put our own hetero-sexist anxieties aside, that W.E. makes a mockery out of 'man's cinema'." Costa complimented Madonna's direction, calling her a "masterful aesthetician". Korzeniowski soundtrack was also commended, with Costa believing that it blended the scenes well.[86] America argued that the film demonstrated Madonna's ambition for artistic gravitas and called it a more mature Blond Ambition Tour.[87] One reviewer stated that "there is a quintessentially Christian, if not Catholic subtext to the film. . . . [referring to the scenes of domestic violence] In both instances, the blood of Christ is reflected in the hands and groins of Mary-like figures."[87] Damon Wise from Empire gave the film three out of five stars and commented on the harsh criticism of Madonna stating "A lot has been said about Madonna and her new film — about how bad and inept it is, as if it's somehow worse than 99 percent of the other movies released on a weekly basis. That's right: up there with Showgirls. Let's give the director a break here." He complimented Riseborough's acting and that "In the short term, this will see W.E. dismissed as a vanity project but, in the long term, history may well find it to be a fascinating comment on 20th-century celebrity from the ultimate insider."[88]
Commercial response
Globally the film was a commercial failure. In the United Kingdom, W.E. opened in a total of 172 cinemas, grossing a total of £183,000 with advance screenings added in. Despite only being available to view at a small number of cinemas, it ranked number 14 in the week's top-grossing films and went to 20 on its first week of DVD sales in the UK.[89]
Accolades
W.E. won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for "Masterpiece", and was nominated for Best Original Score for Abel Korzeniowski, at the 69th Golden Globe Awards.[48][90] "Masterpiece" was also sent for being shortlisted at the 84th Academy Awards, in the category of Best Original Song. However, the song was not considered since as per the rules by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a song is eligible only if it appears in a film no later than the start of the final credits and "Masterpiece" is played after more than one minute into the credits.[91] At the 14th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards, W.E. won an award in the category Excellence in Period Film for Arianne Phillips.[92] She also received another nomination at the 84th Academy Awards, in the category of Best Costume Design.[93]
Production credits
|
|
Production credits as per Madonna.com and The Weinstein Company.[43][94]
References
- ^ Keegan, Rebecca (January 29, 2012). "Madonna: Back in the Public Eye". Los Angeles Times. p. 3. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
- ^ W.E. at Box Office Mojo
- ^ Sharkey, Betsy (December 9, 2011). "Madonna directs 'W.E.,' which clumsily contrives parallel stories about Wallis Simpson and a modern Manhattanite named Wally". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
- ^ a b "Abbie Cornish is in awe of director Madonna". NDTV India. Press Trust of India. March 13, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f "W.E. – Press Release". Madonna.com. February 9, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ a b "Madonna casts Fox family for Wallis Simpson film". BBC News. July 7, 2010. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Bamigboye, Baz (July 2, 2010). "Outnumbered's Daniel Roche is just the boy to star in Just William". Daily Mail. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ a b c Eden, Richard (July 3, 2010). "Madonna casts Natalie Dormer to portray the 'game-playing' Queen Mother". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ a b "Merlin's Katie McGrath: Being directed by Madonna in W.E. was a bit odd". Metro. December 19, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn (February 5, 2010). "Madonna to direct British scandal". The Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Van Sant, Gus (May 2010). "Madonna: An Interview". Interview. pp. 2–4. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b Wilson, Andrew (July 23, 2010). "Has Madonna's Wallis Simpson obsession gone too far?". London Evening Standard. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Bliss, Karen (September 16, 2011). "Madonna Helms 'Romance of the Century'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
- ^ a b c Hiscock, John (December 20, 2011). "Madonna interview: on directing W.E." The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
- ^ a b "Madonna film seeks museum help for Wallis Simpson film". BBC News. July 8, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Madonna: On Set W.E." W. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Moore, Booth (December 19, 2011). "Film fashion: 'W.E.' follows couture's titled couple". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on December 20, 2011. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b Reporter, Staff (March 15, 2010). "Madonna & Vera Farmiga's Royal Engagement". E!. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ Montgomery, Jason (March 29, 2010). "Madonna's Daughter Lourdes Will Not Be Starring In Her Next Film". MTV News. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ a b Simpson, Richard (July 21, 2010). "Madonna the film-maker takes to the streets of London as she shoots new movie W.E." Daily Mail. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ Ditzian, Eric (March 7, 2011). "Madonna's Daughter's Role In 'W.E' Is Revealed". MTV News. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
- ^ "Ewan McGregor to play King Edward VIII in new film W.E produced by Madonna". Daily Record. March 23, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ "James D'Arcy remplace Ewan McGregor" (in French). Canadian Online Explorer. June 7, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ Levine, Nick (May 8, 2010). "McGregor Snub Threatens Madonna's 'W.E' Movie". Digital Spy. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ Stratham, Herby (July 5, 2010). "Artistic Differences Force Actress to Quit Madonna's Movie". Digital Spy. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ "Extras' interest for Madonna's film directing debut". BBC News. July 9, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ Walker, Tim (June 9, 2011). "'Tough' Madonna increases fears about Wallis Simpson film". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
- ^ a b Zeitchik, Steven (September 10, 2011). "Toronto 2011: Madonna says she has auteur dreams". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- ^ "'Queen of Pop' wants help from the 'Queen'". NDTV. Press Trust of India. March 14, 2010. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Eden, Richard (March 13, 2010). "Queen of pop Madonna seeks help from the real Queen". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ Reporter, Staff (March 24, 2010). "Madonna returning to UK". Television New Zealand. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ a b "Madonna the director: Star using tools of the trade to convince folk of her film-making skills on set of new movie W.E". Daily Mail. September 16, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
- ^ Bamigboye, Baz (March 2, 2010). "Madonna persuades Abbie Cornish to sign up to her new film on Edward VIII". Daily Mail. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ Thrills, Adrian (July 27, 2010). "Mind you don't trip! Madonna steps out in too-long trousers". Daily Mail. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ Piper, Dean (December 5, 2010). "Madonna's a reel lady". Daily Mirror. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
- ^ Little John, Georgina (July 30, 2010). "Macrobiotic Madonna lets her standards slip with a sneaky ciggie on film set in France". Daily Mail. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
- ^ "Abbie Cornish Vamps It Up With New Dark Locks". Daily Mail. August 3, 2010. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ "Madonna 'taking ages' to shoot scenes for new flick W.E". DNA India. August 13, 2010. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
- ^ "Replica Simpson Jewels Lost On Madonna Movie". Contactmusic.com. December 1, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
- ^ Thompson, Jody (September 1, 2010). "Make me a star, Mum! Madonna the director gives Lourdes her first movie role". Daily Mail. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
- ^ "James D'Arcy danced for Madonna". Yahoo! News. May 23, 2011. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Madonna to compose song for 'W.E'". The Times of India. April 26, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
- ^ a b "Official W./E. Trailer and Website". The Weinstein Company. November 21, 2011. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Chagollan, Steve (December 16, 2011). "Korzeniowski: Following Madonna's marching orders". Variety. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
- ^ a b c "'W.E. Music From The Motion Picture' Composed by Abel Korzeniowski to be Released Digitally on Interscope Records Jan. 31st" (Press release). PR Newswire. January 21, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
- ^ "'W.E' Official Website — The Weinstein Company". The Weinstein Company. December 4, 2011. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
- ^ a b Idolator Stuff (December 3, 2011). "Madonna Unveils Her 'Masterpiece'". Idolator. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
- ^ a b "Madonna's 'W.E.' Lands 2 Golden Globe Nominations". Billboard. December 15, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
- ^ "W.E. – Music From The Motion Picture: Abel Korzeniowski". Amazon.com. January 31, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ Lodderhose, Diana (February 11, 2010). "Madonna to promote 'W.E' in Berlin". Variety. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
- ^ Mezza, Ed (February 13, 2010). "Optimum grabs Madonna pic". Variety. Retrieved February 13, 2010.
- ^ a b Ward, Kate (June 13, 2011). "Madonna's (sort of) directorial debut acquired by Weinstein". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
- ^ a b Nichols, Katy (May 15, 2011). "Her Madge pulls royal movie out of Cannes as soundtrack isn't ready yet". Daily Mail. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
- ^ Lyman, Eric J. (March 4, 2011). "Report: Madonna's 'W.E.' Rumored to Get Venice Premiere". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
- ^ Knegt, Peter (July 28, 2011). "Venice Film Festival Announces Official Lineup". indieWire. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
- ^ "Madonna and Kate Winslet grace the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival". The Daily Telegraph. September 2, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- ^ Fowler, Tara (July 26, 2011). "Madonna's 'W.E' To Screen At Toronto Film Festival". Digital Spy. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
- ^ Horyn, Cathy (August 5, 2011). "Besotted and Repulsed". The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
- ^ Wharton, David (December 10, 2011). "Poster For Madonna's W.E. Is Colorful But Kind Of Lazy". Cinema Blend. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
- ^ Larkin, Mike (December 22, 2011). "The new Wallis and Edward: Poster from Madonna's directorial debut W.E. shows royal lovers frolicking on the beach". Daily Mail. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
- ^ Crosbie, Lynn (January 12, 2012). "The Madge we love to hate is back". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
- ^ Michaels, Sean (January 12, 2012). "Madonna reveals new album title". The Guardian. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
- ^ "Madonna Claims Perfect Love is Unattainable". The Daily Telegraph. January 11, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn (January 23, 2012). "Madonna Has 'Fingers Crossed' For A 'W.E.' Oscar Nod". MTV News. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ Sperling, Nicole (June 29, 2011). "Madonna's romantic drama 'W.E.' set to bow this December". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
- ^ "Madonna's 'W.E.' to be cut by up to 10 minutes". Zee News. September 19, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn (November 10, 2011). "Madonna Delays 'W.E' Release To 2012". MTV News. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
- ^ Witherspoon, Jane (September 1, 2011). "Madonna Film Divides Critics In Venice". Sky News. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ Rao, Mallika (September 1, 2011). "Madonna's 'W.E.': The Venice Critics Love/Hate It". HuffPost. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ Pond, Steve (September 1, 2011). "Madonna's 'W.E.' Gets a Big N.O. in Venice". Reuters. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ Buchanan, Kyle (September 1, 2011). "Reviews for Madonna's W.E. Are Not O.K." New York. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ Bamigboye, Baz (September 1, 2011). "Madonna makes us fall in love with Mrs Simpson". Daily Mail. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ Gritten, David (September 1, 2011). "Venice Film Festival 2011: W.E., Review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
- ^ Brooks, Xan (September 1, 2011). "W.E. – review Madonna's jaw-dropping take on the story of Wallis Simpson is a primped and simpering folly, preening and fatally mishandled". The Guardian. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ McCarthy, Todd (September 1, 2011). "W.E.: Venice Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ Lyttelon, Oliver (September 1, 2011). "Venice '11 Review: Madonna's 'W.E.' Is A Royal Disaster". indieWire. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ Pritchard, Emma (September 1, 2011). "Grazia Daily reviews Madonna's directorial debut W.E!". Grazia. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
- ^ Collett-White, Mike (September 2, 2011). "Madonna's crown slips with mediocre W.E. reviews". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
- ^ Felperin, Leslie (September 1, 2011). "W.E. (UK)". Variety. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
- ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/we_2011/
- ^ http://www.metacritic.com/movie/we
- ^ Kennedy, Colin (January 20, 2012). "W.E's central conceit results in a film that is just conceited". Metro. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
- ^ Woodward, Adam (January 20, 2012). "W.E. Review". Little White Lies. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
- ^ Reynolds, Simon (January 16, 2012). "'W.E.' Review". Digital Spy. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
- ^ Carrier, Dan (January 20, 2012). "Cinema: Review – James D'Arcy and Andrea Riseborough in Madonna's W.E." Camden New Journal. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
- ^ Costa, David (December 11, 2011). "W.E. Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
- ^ a b Stepien, Victor (February 20, 2012). "Madonna's Ambition". America. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
- ^ Wise, Damon (January 24, 2012). "Review: W.E." Empire. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ Gant, Charles (January 24, 2012). "Spielberg's War Horse wins at a canter at UK box office". The Guardian. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
- ^ "Full List of Golden Globes 2012 Winners". Herald Sun. January 16, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2012.
- ^ Hogan, Mark (December 20, 2011). "Oscars' Best Song Short List: The National, She & Him (But No Madonna)". Spin. Retrieved December 21, 2011.
- ^ Kilday, Gregg (February 22, 2012). "Costume Designers Honor 'Dragon Tattoo,' 'Harry Potter' and 'W.E.'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
- ^ Pond, Steve (January 24, 2012). "'The Artist,' 'Hugo' Lead Oscar Nominations". Reuters. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ "The Weinstein Company Acquires Madonna's W.E. for U.S. Release" (Press release). PR Newswire. June 14, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
External links
- W.E. at AllMovie
- W.E. at Box Office Mojo
- W.E. at IMDb
- W.E. at Rotten Tomatoes
- 2011 films
- 2010s romantic drama films
- British films
- British romantic drama films
- Cultural depictions of George V
- Cultural depictions of George VI
- Cultural depictions of the Edward VIII abdication crisis
- English-language films
- French-language films
- Films directed by Madonna (entertainer)
- Films set in England
- Films set in New York City
- Films set in the 1910s
- Films set in the 1920s
- Films set in the 1930s
- Films set in the 1940s
- Films set in the 1970s
- Films set in 1998
- Films shot in England
- Films shot in France
- Films shot in Italy
- Films shot in London
- Films shot in New York City
- Historical romance films
- Russian-language films