Lee: Movie Review

Cast: Kate Winslet, Andy Samberg, Marion Cotillard, Alexander Skarsgard, Josh O'Connor, Noemie Merlant, Andrea Riseborough

Director: Elle Kuras

Kate Winslet stars in this passion project that's taken nearly a decade to get off the ground about a very worthy subject.

However, the story of model-turned-war-photographer Lee Miller just isn't as compelling as it could be - despite the sterling work thrown in by Winslet.

Jumping around various timepoints in her life, before finally settling on Miller's involvement in capturing the atrocities of the Nazis in the aftermath of Hitler's death, director Ellen Kuras' relatively scattershot approach to parts of her life doesn't yield perhaps as much heft as it could.

In parts, the film is almost clunky in its execution, with large swathes of the script focusing on telling the audience about its characters, rather than letting the movie do the job for it.

Centred around a hook of Miller being interviewed late in life by Josh O'Connor's character, the story is enticing enough, and does much to demonstrate the injustices of women's treatment in various positions. 
Miller's summarily dismissed as an older model by Vogue's editor before she's even spoken, is pushed aside by military high-ups - there's much here to be outraged about, but the film never really settles on its tone, preferring instead to concentrate on its obligations to the photographic legacy.

In many ways, aside from one final moment, this is a truly conventional biopic that's only improved by its star's performance.

From the moment she's on screen to the end, Winslet commands your attention and while Samberg has little to do in his dramatic lead as her partner-in-crime, he shows depath for those who'd dismiss him solely as a comedian.

But it's the script that largely underserves proceedings. With a choppy narrative and a relatively weakened focus, it falls victim to its own desire to interrupt proceedings and jump around when emotional moments arise.

Miller's photos never lose their power on the big screen, and Winslet does much to add depth to a script that fails it - but ultimately, Lee is more a tantalising what could have been kind of a film that lacks moments to truly live up to Lee Miller's legacy.