W.E. is Madonna’s latest directorial effort. Courtesy of eOne Entertainment
A pop icon such as Madonna has the world as her oyster. There’s no denying that the singer turned actress has had a few moments in the sun as an actress in the cinema world but When it comes to her direction and writing, the sun simply refuses to shine – And with good reason.
In W.E., Madonna attempts to tell the story of King Edward VIII’s affair with American divorcée Wallis Simpson, while trying to connect it to a modern day affair between a trophy wife and a security guard.
To be as blunt as a rusty axe, Madonna should never step behind a camera. Her insistence on using every perceivable technique and camera angle served as a distraction and nothing else. Perhaps she should have bought a couple of gallons of crazy glue to add some sense of cohesion to the story she was painfully trying to tell. With the aid of Alek Keshishian, she managed to take what could have been a wonderful biopic of Edward VIII, and turned it into a convoluted mess.
She luckily had a decent cast to work with, all of whom managed acceptable performances within the confines of the uninspired script.
The picture quality is decent as is the audio. There are no special features to indulge in, so if you’re a fan looking for a little bit more (why??) don’t get your hopes up.
Bottom Line: Nothing to see here but a horrendous film.
Movie Grade F
Blu Ray Grade D-
Runtime: 119 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
