Review - Lee
Directed by: Ellen Kuras
Written by: Liz Hannah, John Collee and Marion Hume
Starring: Kate Winslet, Alexander Skarsgard, Andy Samberg
Running Time: 116 minutes
Rating: 2/5
I'd rather be taking the picture than being in the picture.
Ricky Gervais once made the joke that if you cast Kate Winslet in a WWII/Holocaust film - it's enough to grant her the Oscar. While Lee undoubtedly takes place in the midst of the second world war - even Kate Winslets' intense performance can't seem to lift Lee from the grips of medicrocity.
Channelling her recent portrayal as the ferocious Mare Sheehan in Mare of Easttown, Winslet explodes with a vicious intensity in an empathetic portrayal of famed war photographer, Lee Miller. A decorated and fascinating life, Lee began her career as a fashion model at the turn of the century before swiftly transitioning into a sought-after photographer and artist for Vogue Magazine. It is when Lee decides to document the horrors and atrocities of the second world war that she steps into the battlefield to honour the harrowing realities of war.
Lee, on paper, has a lot of powerful aspects going for it - it has Kate Winslet, who carries Lee Miller with such empathetic intensity that it feels incredible watching her bring Lee’s story into the limelight. Though, the film suffers from such pedestrian and almost lifeless carelessness - the subject matter is inevitably provacative and interesting - though, the film’s screenplay and direction, feels like a heavy weight preventing a glorious and emotional catharsis. Dialogue feels a little clunky and bare and every scenes feels rushed or forced to be a part of such a formulaic structure.
Outside of Kate Winslets' magentic performance, the biggest surprise of the film is Andy Samberg, who plays a supporting role as Lee’s partner on the field, David Scherman. This is not the same Samberg that led Hot Rod or singing about inappropriate affairs with The Lonely Island - this Samberg is eloquent, quiet and nuanced in his performance - a constant in the manic inconsistencies of Lee’s life. He brings Lee down from the challenging highs of her adrenaline fueled purpose and keeps her rooted in a familiar stability, an anchor of hope and fellowship.
Ellen Kuras' Lee is a definite showcase for Kate Winslets' electrifying talent, though it unfortunately falters into the world of the generic bio-pic. Not even Winslets' performance can bring Lee Miller's story, message and experiences the stage it deserves. The film feels too by-the-books to accelerate any of the cathartic heartbeats into any provacative and emotive rhythm. Even when Lee ventures deep into the heart of Germany and features some of the most powerful photographs in her career - it's reverence and importance in reality doesn't seem to linger with a powerful mark. There isn't much lasting impact as the emotional build up does not feel earned.
As disappointing as the film may be, Lee still tells a story that is fascinating and important to our history. Her photographs and journey may live forever, but not so much in this film.
