Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

W.E. Blu-ray Movie Review

Woefully executed or wonderfully exacting?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 19, 2012

The greatest love story of the 20th century.

Madonna makes the move from the microphone to the movies with her first major motion picture W.E., a love story in the shape of a classic, a picture that desperately wants to ascend to genre heights occupied by only the finest pictures but that proves a bit overzealous on its stumbling journey up the cinematic slope. The singer-turned-director puts together a fair picture, one that's not without its share of problems but that comes together serviceably well after a sluggish opening act. Unfortunately, the material lacks depth and the dueling stories work better separately; W.E. probably would have succeeded beyond what Madonna's accomplished with the whole had she crafted two separate pictures, one the historical romance and the other the modern story told against the backdrop of, not intermixed with, the timeless tale of Wallis and Edward, or "W.E." (clever, no?). The picture feels like some strange mishmash of The Iron Lady meets Julie & Julia, both flash backwards-flash forwards pictures, the former sharing the same sort of visual stylings as W.E. and the latter about one woman's obsession with another and how that obsession shapes her life. W.E. never quite gels, however, playing through a sluggish pace that's largely the result of a choppy narrative. Still, it's not bad for a first major film, and Madonna shouldn't let the criticism dissuade her from stepping behind the camera for another movie in the future.

Tea and smokes.

Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish) -- named for the American Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough) who married the English King Edward (James D'Arcy) -- finds herself obsessed with one of the most celebrated, and perhaps most misunderstood, fairy tale romances of all time. Wally is herself struggling through an unhappy marriage. She's married to William (Richard Coyle), a prestigious doctor whom she suspects of infidelity. William overwhelms her, attempting to control every area of her life. She finds solace in the story of Wallis and King Edward, a classic tale of love conquering even the great power of the English throne. She attends a lavish Sotheby's auction of all things Wallis and Edward, where she comes to befriend a widower named Evgeni (Oscar Isaac), a man who, unlike her husband, shows her respect and an interest in her welfare and obsession with the scandalous English marriage. W.E. tells both stories simultaneously, that of Wally in the modern world and the timeless tale of Wallis and Edward in mid-20th century England.

Madonna's W.E. badly stumbles out of the gate but only picks up steam once the director seems to achieve a firmer grasp on the art of storytelling, not simply making a pretty moving picture. The entirety of Madonna's W.E. enjoys all of the polish and splendor of the finest period pieces. It's a movie with everything in its place and all very much photogenic, from the smallest accents then and now to the appearance of the actors who shape the movie beyond the visuals. Yet for as superficially resplendent as the picture may be, it lacks structural cohesion. The story is fine, but never does it really impart any sort of importance. It follows a casual obsession and really serves only to reinforce what the character already knows, particularly as she sorts out her own troubled life. The picture does gain traction as the characters become more fully rounded and the specifics of their lives and circumstances become more clear, but even then the movie enjoys only a casual sort of relationship with its audience, more showing them the story rather than involving them in it. The end result is a well-made picture that borders on the dazzling in terms of fit and finish, but most of the plusses run only skin-deep.

The picture also never really solidifies the pacing and structure of the back-and-forth time shifts. They're jolting and clunky, sometimes difficult to follow in the moment, and the cohesion between then and now and back again seems at best cursory, the film never truly solidifying the transitions or making them thematically seamless. Once the picture finds its rhythm and the parallels between periods become more clear, it works much better. The first act borders on the unwatchable/disastrous simply for a lack of a more immediate understanding of the who's, what's, and why's, with only the when's and where's really only sinking in on first attempt. The cast does a fine job with the material, but the shifting between periods means less time for character development and solidification, and the end result is a movie that fails to truly paint the fullest picture possible of its players. That's really the constant throughout the film; W.E., even considering its two-hour runtime, doesn't seem to have enough minutes in its final product to make the movie feel complete. That returns the review back to the idea that this movie might have worked better as two separate entities, each given the appropriate focus and breathing room to show that there is indeed two tales worth telling in what is here the singular W.E.

W.E. Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

W.E. arrives on Blu-ray with a steady and good-looking 1080p transfer. The image appears with a slightly washed out, toned-down color palette. Rarely is the film extremely vibrant, instead taking on a slightly cold, blue-gray heavy muted appearance. A few brighter green grasses and various accents offer some vibrancy, but the image is certainly dominated by its particular palette. In turn, black levels appear frequently washed out, and skin tones look rather pasty and flat. Fine detail, on the flip side, is quite strong. Complex facial details, clothing textures, and the like appear very nicely defined and accurate. The image enjoys a light grain structure and plays with a handsome film-like texturing. Banding, blocking, and such are largely absent. This film may be a bit flat and dull by design, but the Blu-ray transfer handles the picture's natural appearance nicely.

W.E. Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

W.E.'s DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack impresses with the film's every scene. Music carries smoothly and naturally, filling the soundstage with the sort of richness and authenticity listeners expect of a high-end lossless presentation. It's very well-spaced and naturally enveloping. Chapter eight's music enjoys more force and a strong and balanced low end. Chapter eleven's auction/dance montage features the most raw energy, the scene playing vigorously but sonically balanced and accurate. Ambience carries nicely, whether a ringing telephone or the light background noise at a crowded auction house. Dialogue is smooth and even as it flows accurately and consistently through the center channel. This is one of those tracks that may not dazzle in the broadest sense of the term, but the track's exacting execution will please audiophiles.

W.E. Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

W.E. contains only one supplement, The Making of 'W.E.' Featuring Madonna (480p, 22:36). This overview piece features cast and crew speaking on the the picture's dual stories, the history behind the tale, the characters as they were and as they are in the film, casting, costumes, cast preparation for the roles, shooting locales, Madonna's direction, and more. DVD and Digital Copy discs are also included.

W.E. Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Set aside any preconceived notions about a period Drama/Romance directed by a Pop legend, or take the name "Madonna" out of the equation entirely, and see that W.E. shows promise, that there's a fair picture -- or maybe two good ones -- to be enjoyed. The film as it is takes too long to develop and it never really solidifies any single aspect insofar as its thematic structure is concerned. It would have played far better as two separate pictures rather than one that tries to be everything and comes up short, doing a disservice to both sides of the W.E. coin. The film does look fantastic and Madonna's direction isn't all bad, but the superficialities cannot mask the picture's general shortcomings. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of W.E. features excellent video, strong audio, and one supplement. Fans not concerned with the lack of extras may buy with confidence, but most interested parties would be best served with a rental.