Lee 2024 Movie Review
The remarkable true story of photographer Lee Miller, a former American fashion model who became an acclaimed and vital war correspondent for Vogue magazine during World War II, gets a timely and powerful movie. Kate Winslet is on awards-season form in the lead, with the film delivering a timely reminder of the horrors of war and the results of leaving hate-rhetoric unchecked.
With her modelling days behind her, Lee Miller (Kate Winslet) takes to photography and recording life from the other side of the lens. The Nazi regime is building momentum in Europe and soon their advances reach Paris, France where Lee’s circle of friends live. Approaching her former employers in England with a substantial portfolio of work, she convinces Vogue editor Audrey Withers (Andrea Risborough) to commission her to cover the war as a photo-journalist. Once there she partners up with Jewish reporter David E. Scherman (Andy Samberg) and uncovers the true horrors of World War II.
The always sensational Kate Winslet is perfectly cast as Lee Miller and completely embodies the role. Miller was a headstrong and determined force, and Winslet absolutely conveys that with a performance that’s emotive and direct. It’s a tour-de-force role that will go down as one of her finest to date, and given her already impressive CV, that’s no mean feat.
Andy Samberg pushed hard to land the role of David E. Scherman, wanting to honour his Jewish roots with a performance that’s subtle but very impactful. Obviously well known for his comedy output, Samberg shows a welcome new side as an actor, giving great support to Winslet’s Miller and creating a believable chemistry onscreen.
The film is blessed with an astounding array of supporting talent. Alexander Skarsgård is solid as Lee’s husband Roland Penrose, an art curator who himself takes the call to action when the War effort advances. Andrea Riseborough continues to be a chameleon and absolutely delights as Vogue’s Audrey Withers. She and Winslet share some extremely powerful scenes together and are a joy to watch. Noémie Merlant and Marion Cotillard star as Nusch Eluard and Solange D’Ayen (respectively) and are absorbing onscreen. Josh O’Connor is great as Antony Penrose, who is learning about Lee Miller’s work from the start of the film, as she recounts her life.
Writers Liz Hannah, Marion Hume, John Collee and Lem Dobbs have done a remarkable job in bringing to the screen Antony Penrose’s must-read biography of Miller. The screenplay captures the very essence of the woman and painfully illustrates the horrors of war and the timely nature of the themes of this film in these troubled times that we live in. Acclaimed Director Ellen Kuras, who made a name for herself as a Cinematographer in such classics as ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’, ‘Be Kind Rewind’ and ‘A Little Chaos’ brings a wonderfully immersive feeling to the film as we take Lee Miller’s perilous journey along with her, one step at a time. She also captures the complexities of war and its impact on everyone very astutely, shying away from tokenism and instead letting the actors (and especially Winslet) truly deliver the dramatic impact of the situation.
‘Lee’ is a deeply engrossing and powerful film that leaves a lasting impression on its audience. Kate Winslet is phenomenal once again, and really does deserve to be recognised for her efforts in this movie. The whole ensemble is superb and play their part in delivering one of the best biopics and war-themed films we’ve seen for quite some time. ‘Lee’ is a great reminder that there are remarkable people that step up to the challenge during times of great hardship, and a fantastic example to dismissive sceptics of how a female director, mostly female writers and a female lead can deliver one of the finest films of the year.
