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W.E.

R Released Dec 9, 2011 1h 59m Drama History Romance List
12% Tomatometer 113 Reviews 48% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Dissatisfied with the way her own life is playing out, New York-based Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish) becomes obsessed with the romance between American divorcee Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough) and England's Edward VIII (James D'Arcy) when Sotheby's holds an auction of the royal couple's belongings. Wally is especially drawn to Wallis' side of the story, and as certain events transpire in her life, the line between fantasy and reality begins to blur.
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W.E.

W.E.

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Critics Consensus

W.E. exhibits director Madonna's keen eye for striking style, but this shallow biopic is too enamored with aesthetics to offer any insight into its subject.

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Critics Reviews

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Deborah Ross The Spectator With the right amount of directorial mishandling, you can utterly waste the talent of two actresses who are otherwise first-class. Aug 31, 2018 Full Review Roger Moore Tribune News Service Is this the end of Madonna as a movie maker, a case of her always ambitious reach exceeding her limited grasp? Rated: 1.5/4 Dec 30, 2012 Full Review Austin Chronicle Rated: 2.5/5 Mar 24, 2012 Full Review Brian D. Johnson Maclean's Magazine W.E. offers astounding proof that a movie can be larded with talent, money and craft, yet fail miserably. Jul 29, 2019 Full Review PJ Nabarro Patrick Nabarro The film is perhaps an ironic exposé of how personal Madonna's interest is in the very sort of privileged, monied and transnational lives of the two lead women. Rated: 2/5 Jul 24, 2019 Full Review Kelly Jane Torrance Washington Examiner Madonna needs to accept... that her talents lie not in the movie business. Rated: 1/4 Jan 4, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (347) audience reviews
Adrian R. M W.E. is a film that demands a second look. It's a visually stunning exploration of love, obsession and the complexities of history. Madonna's effort is far more ambitious than critics give it credit for. The juxtaposition of two love stories across different eras is bold and thought-provoking. While it may not be a perfect film, it's undeniably captivating. It's a shame that such a visually rich and emotionally charged work has been unfairly dismissed by some critics. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/19/24 Full Review Sofia V As a child, certain parts weren't the best. But I do believe the rating is too low, and the history of W.E. on both sides is wonderful( the romance of Evgheni and Wally is *chef's kiss) Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/02/24 Full Review Julianne B It doesn't make sense that this movie received such low ratings. I thought it was mesmerizing. Cinematically beautiful, thoughtfully written, engaging, and a wonderful suprise on a cold and snowy day. I didn't want it to end. Just watch it, you won't be disappointed. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/13/24 Full Review Emilija S I thought this movie was absolutely beautiful. I really cannot understand why the critics have rated this so low. I have watched many bad films and this is not one of them. Well worth watching. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review isla s This is very much a swanky looking (i.e. stylish) period drama. It shows off the decadence of the time (the first half of the 1900s), although certainly not everything is as it seems. It puts across quite well that being well off does not, in and of itself, make for a happy life, with some quite chilling, you could say sobering, scenes. I understand that not everyone would be keen to feel sorry for someone who is, or was, perhaps regarded as having 'it all' but this film seemed, to me, to do well to show the other side of the proverbial coin. I felt the performances were decent, particularly that of Andrea Riseborough. I suppose its a somewhat thoughtful film, for the most part, although I did find it frustrating the cutting between timelines, from the 1930s to the late 1990s, when items that revealed the affair are auctioned off. In a way it reminded me of the film 'Red Violin', which also was partly about an auction and the various times in the distant past in which the items sold were of relevance. I enjoyed the settings of period scenes - the sumptuous surroundings and so on. The classical (musical) score was reasonably good too and I guess it was at least somewhat engrossing. Of course a film directed by such a director as Madonna is likely to get some stick but I only concentrate on the film itself. I thought it was interesting, insightful to an extent but not excellent. A relatively good film, I would recommend this only if your particularly curious about the main theme/subject matter, yes, although be aware that it isn't purely set in the 1930s, so some of it concentrates on the 90s - I thought that was less interesting and I did feel it dragged a bit, plot wise, certainly toward the end. I was also aware that at times there's relatively little dialogue and it felt like the film makers were perhaps overly trying to make it seem, I imagine, atmospheric and moving. I'm not entirely sure that really works as such. I certainly preferred the first half of the film to the 2nd half. However, I don't know enough about the details to be able to say to what extent it may be historically accurate (or not). Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Beautiful Movie! I Really Love It Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis Dissatisfied with the way her own life is playing out, New York-based Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish) becomes obsessed with the romance between American divorcee Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough) and England's Edward VIII (James D'Arcy) when Sotheby's holds an auction of the royal couple's belongings. Wally is especially drawn to Wallis' side of the story, and as certain events transpire in her life, the line between fantasy and reality begins to blur.
Director
Madonna
Producer
Madonna, Kris Thykier
Screenwriter
Madonna, Alek Keshishian
Distributor
Weinstein Co.
Production Co
Semtex Films, Tempesta Films, IM Global
Rating
R (Nudity|Language|Some Domestic Violence)
Genre
Drama, History, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 9, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 2, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$582.1K
Runtime
1h 59m
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