Sydney Film Festival Review - Lee

 

“You think I went to war so people would know my name?”

Intrepid, somber and steady, Lee is strong showcase for Kate Winslet in the role of famed war correspondent and photographer Lee Miller, in a film that whilst muddled and slow, still manages to honour Miller and her irreplicable impact on journalism with stark images, and a reflective tone. 

Discussion Points:

Kate Winslet produced this passion project about the war correspondent, photographer and former model Lee Miller. The movie took eight years to make and, at one point, due to precarious funding, Winslet paid the entire cast and crew's salaries for two weeks. Yet despite the surprisingly frequent toplessness, this is far from a vanity project for Winslet. She is definitely the core, delivering a fantastic performance, but it’s obvious that the focus is on the uncompromising and unflinching resolve of Lee Miller who’s stubborn determination led to her capturing some of the most haunting and heartbreaking records of the atrocities of WWII. Whilst narratively it feels muddled and not quite sure what it wants to say or where it’s particularly going, it’s the performances within that really carry this along with the visuals. Andy Samberg is surprisingly nuanced; Marion Cotillard, Noèmie Merlant & Andrea Riseborough each get moments to shine, and Josh O’Connor and Alexander Skarsgård get some great supporting moments. The film is easily at its best in the last third where the wartime setting comes to the forefront with concussive bomb blasts, whizzing bullets and shaky cam capturing the chaos of the front lines, followed by the eerie quiet as the liberating Allies forces discover the atrocities of the Nazi regime. Underscored by a beautiful score from Alexandre Desplat and editing by Oscar winner Mikkel E. G. Nielsen, Lee ultimately isn’t as good as all the talent involved may suggest, but it’s still a fitting biography of Lee Miller, and a promising debut for director Ellen Kuras.