Madonna’s creative endeavours always attract more criticism than most crossover artists, towards which she has undoubtedly grown a thick skin, but her ambitions for W.E are particularly high.
W.E is Madonna’s labour of love – a tribute to her life-long idol, the controversial socialite who clawed her way up the social ladder with vigour, not totally unlike the director herself.
Set in New York in 1998, the story revolves around Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish), a Sotheby’s employee married to an award-winning psychiatrist, who persuades her to quit her job for the domestic life and trying for a baby.
Wally’s obsession with Wallace Simpson (Andrea Riseborough) grows more intense, much to the annoyance of her absent husband, when Sotheby’s holds a series of auctions, selling the Duchess of Windsor’s possessions. As Wally, conveniently named after her heroine, daydreams, we are drawn into the world of the formidable social climber and eventual fashion icon Wallace Simpson and her scandalous third marriage to Edward, the next king of England.
Wally develops a close friendship with a Russian security guard at the gallery, who indulges her fantasy with after-hours secret viewings, and soon the world of Wallace Simpson becomes an escape as her life crumbles around her.
One of the strengths of W.E is that it’s a highly styled visual treat. The costumes are exquisite, especially the evening gowns worn by Wallace Simpson, who had a penchant for Mainbocher and Schiaparelli. Galliano, Issa, Cartier and Stephen Jones contributed to Wallace’s lavish wardrobe, under the direction of Arianne Philips, a long-time Madonna collaborator.
The reverence of the film was momentarily suspended with some lighter, humorous scenes. Edward spiked his snoozing guests drinks with benzoin, which had them raising the skirt levels and pogo-ing to the Sex Pistols (a reference to Sofia Coppola’s Marie-Antoinette, perhaps).
One glaring problem with the film is Madonna’s heavy-handedness with presenting the increasingly parallel lives of Wally and Wallace. At certain points in the film, Wallace appears in a vision and speaks to Wally, sometimes mockingly, and at other times for comfort. The ridiculousness of it almost compromised the subtlety of the film.
The parallels between Madonna and Wallace Simpson are glaringly apparent and it’s no coincidence that W.E was made at this point in her life. Both strong, sassy American women, they could command a room and bring a bit of brash fun to the upper echelons of society. As faux-geezer Guy Richie hushes his royal connections, you could say that they both married into British aristocracy and questioned their true place there.
W.E has some historical inconsistencies and it was at times shaky, but it’s a real visual gem and most enjoyable to watch. Madonna’s dedication to W.E, from the costumes to the ever-changing cast is admirable and while it needs to be reigned in at certain points, it’s a film to be proud of.