In a sea of biopics, LEE is one I’ve been looking forward to this year. I’m mildly familiar with the subject matter, Lee Miller, an American fashion model turned war photographer whose photos became one of the most significant contributions to WWII archives. Kate Winslet’s passion project, which she co-produced and even partly funded herself, focuses mainly on the period of Lee’s life covering the war. The opening scene shows Lee on the battlefield in a French town as bullets fly and bombs explode around her. It’s the length Lee took to capture the atrocities of war, whether on the front lines, in hospitals, or in war camps. Seeing the war through a female lens was (and still is) a rarity in a profession still dominated by men.
The way the story is told follows a biographical convention where the older Lee (in her 70s) is being interviewed by a mild-mannered young man (Josh O’Connor). Lee is as defiant as ever, puffing up in her messy country home and berating the interviewer before telling her story. We’re not told who the young man is, the film is saving it for the big reveal in the end. How ‘twisty’ that reveal is depends on how much you know about Lee.
The characterization of Lee herself doesn’t feel fully fleshed out. We mostly witness her jaded, world-weary side, even from her younger days. The only time we really see her relaxed and happy is when she’s enjoying a sunny day with her bohemian friends in the South of France. Lee is having a picnic with her artist friends, and it’s pretty striking to see that most of the women are lounging around topless: Nusch Eluard (Noémie Merlant) and her husband Paul (Vincent Colombe), French Noblewoman & former Vogue fashion editor Solange D’Ayen (Marion Cotillard), surrealist Man Ray (Seán Duggan), Creole model Ady Fidelin (Zita Hanrot), and Pablo Picasso (Enrique Arce). Apparently, Lee was Ray’s and Picasso’s muse at one point.
It’s at the picnic that she first meets Roland Penrose (Alexander Skarsgård) who later becomes her husband. The attraction was mutual and instant. There’s no mention of the fact that by that point, Lee had been married before to an Egyptian businessman, but it does highlight her relationship with David E. Scherman (Andy Samberg), her closest ally in covering the war. This is the first time I’ve seen Samberg in a dramatic role and I think he did a good job and able to hold his own against Winslet. The scene of Lee and Scherman sneaking into Hitler’s bathroom is amusing as most of us has seen that famous photo of her in the Fuhrer’s bathtub.
This is Ellen Kuras’ directorial debut, one of the best cinematographers working today who has shot two of Winstlet’s films. It’s fitting that a woman is telling Lee’s story, especially someone who knows that pictures are worth a thousand words. The visuals by Pawel Edelman are beautiful as well as evocative, especially evident in the film’s darkest moments in the concentration camps. The somber wartime visuals are enhanced by the bittersweet notes of Alexander Desplat’s score.
Even with so many films about the Holocaust out there, it’s hard to become desensitized to the shocking images of the genocide of European Jews during World War II. The moment when Lee and Dave find piles of malnourished dead bodies from the camps is just devastating. The scene that hits the hardest is when Lee is trying to comfort a little girl in a camp that’s just been liberated. There’s so much humanity in that moment, which makes her outrage at Vogue for not running her Holocaust photos relatable.
While the ensemble cast is stellar, most of them are pretty underused. This is Winslet’s film through and through as she’s in practically every single scene. She gets to flex her fantastic acting chops and showcase her dedication to the role. That said, I wonder if talents like Nicole Kidman or Cate Blanchett might fit the role better, both were set to play Lee at one point. As I was watching this, I even thought that Andrea Riseborough, who plays Vogue’s editor, Audrey Withers, would make a good Lee.
Casting aside, I think the weakest link here is the script, credited to Liz Hannah, John Collee, and Marion Hume. It’s undoubtedly a challenge to fit all of Lee’s incredible life into just a 2-hour movie, but a solid script should still be able to provide a pretty comprehensive look at her journey. Alas, that isn’t the case here, perhaps Lee’s eclectic life might work better as a limited series. The film strives to drive the point that Lee was a fiercely independent woman, but for a biopic about a rule-breaker who marches to the beat of her own drum, the movie doesn’t quite match her intrepid lifestyle.
Have you seen LEE? I’d love to hear what you think!
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FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
I’ll wait for this on a streaming service for free as I read it doesn’t live up to the brilliance of its subject.
Yeah, I mean Winslet rarely miss but I can’t help wonder if this subject matter might be more interesting and insightful as a documentary.
Looking forward to seeing Kate Winslet in anything.
She’s indeed the reason to see this, though I wouldn’t say it’s her best film.
I saw a trailer of this a while back and I totally forgot about it. The studio must not have much faith in it since there’s no marketing push after they released the trailer. I might give it a watch when it hits streaming.
There might not be a big budget for marketing, I think she helped finance it herself. It’s still worth a watch on streaming for sure!
I saw my theater was getting this. Maybe I’ll wait and see some others first based on this rating.
I’d say it’s still worth seeing perhaps on a matinee? Lee Miller’s story definitely deserves to be told.
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Interesting.
From reading the review, I thought you’d be giving it more of a 3.5 rating.
I think one of your talent’s is being able to find the good points in films, even when you don’t score them high.
If you ever trashed a film righteously, I think it would be one of the worst ever made.
Thanks for the review, Ruth!
I had a high expectations about this one, but I feel like the characterization of LEE was a letdown. Kate Winslet is a fantastic actress but I felt like she didn’t fit the role somehow. It’s a bummer, as Lee Miller was so legendary, I’d love to see a documentary about her!
Thanks for your kind words about my review! I know how hard it is to get a film made, even for big name filmmakers like Coppola, so I try to be diplomatic even if I don’t like a movie.
Well, so far one of the worst movies of the year for me was Unfrosted, it was tough to find the positives. I wrote a mini review of it here: https://flixchatter.net/2024/07/01/june-viewing-recap-mini-reviews-movie-of-the-month/
After “Regime” I’m not rushing t o any Kate Winslet films.
Diplomacy is the way. Politicians could learn about that.
Unfrosted… 😱😖😵💫😬
I hear ya about REGIME. I was thinking about seeing that but I decided not to after reading your take on it.
Unfrosted is just ugh, I’d rather not think about that awful movie!!
Yes, forget “Regime”. Move into the future, or watch a great movie from the past!
An excellent review. “Lee” is a movie I definitely look forward to watch soon. I am a huge fan of Kate Winslet and adore all the movies that she had made in her illustrious career. My love for her started with “Titanic”. Released in 1997 which was the year that I was born, James Cameron’s film has stood the test of time as an iconic classic. It’s truly one of the best movies ever made. Winslet is one of those actresses that has never let me down. I’ve never seen her make a bad film. So, I will definitely keep “Lee” on my watchlist of films to see. Thanks for the recommendation.
Here’s why I loved “Titanic”:
Hi Hassan! Oh cool, so you were born the same year as Titanic’s release? So what age did you see the movie? I agree that the film still holds up even decades later, and Winslet was phenomenal as Rose. It’s amazing that people still talked about it today as under a less-capable director, Titanic could’ve easily been a flop.
Now, while Winslet’s performance is good as Lee, I feel like the characterization of Lee Miller didn’t feel quite right.
Thanks for the feedback. I actually saw Titanic only recently in my teens at about age 15. I remember I had immigrated to Canada and saw it back in 2011. It left a lasting impression on me. Also the reason why DiCaprio remains my favourite actor of all time.
Hey Hassan! Weird that somehow I missed your comment here. Hope you are well, have you been seeing any good movies lately? Anyhoo, just curious as I haven’t heard from you in a while.