W.E.

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  • Opened February 3, 2012 
  • 1 hr 59 min
  • R | some domestic violence, nudity, and language
  • Parents: Common Sense Media says Iffy for 16+. More on child suitability

  • The year is 1998, and Manhattan is abuzz with anticipation about the upcoming auction of the estate of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. But the auction is far more than a diversion for Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish), a transplanted Southerner trapped in an unhappy and abusive marriage. Transfixed by the exquisite artifacts of the Windsors' lives, Wally becomes obsessed with the love story of Wallis Simspon (Andrea Riseborough), the chic, charismatic American who captured the heart of King Edward VIII (James D'Arcy). As she learns more about the sacrifices Wallis made in choosing to be with Edward, Wally finds the courage to follow her own heart and create her own happiness. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, James D'Arcy, Oscar Isaac, Richard Coyle
  • Director: Madonna
  • Genres: Art House/Foreign, Drama, Romance

What's the Buzz?

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Fans say Go
86 fans
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No
Critics say No
37 out of 100
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Fan Reviews

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beautiful and great story

by remleno

beautiful movie. good 1st film.... i think madonna will get a hard time because its madonna...but a great story and well filmed. good movie... better then iron lady ..has soem weaker moments but good...

Go
W./E.

by kipp

A lot better than I thought it would be. Telling the Edward/Simpson story inside another story was a good way to handle it. It gave Madonna the unique opportunity to tell it from the feminist...

Must Go!
Better Than You Think

by SpaceKadet2000

This film is better than you think. Very good effort by Madonna and company. Don't believe the critics and go see this film!...

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Critic Reviews

75
Slant Magazine
| Diego Costa

W.E.'s is a kind of dynamic pleasure that allows for non-shameful identification with the feminine and a fantasy of becoming what we see. Read full review

55
Movieline
| Stephanie Zacharek

W.E. is actually two intertwining stories - or maybe, more accurately, two stories clumsily rubbing against each other in an awkward attempt to set off a spark. Read full review

50
Philadelphia Inquirer
| Carrie Rickey

Madonna the director deserves a script better than the one Madonna the screenwriter handed off to her. The movie is full of incidents that don't quite cohere into a story - kind of like a Power Point presentation without a throughline. Read full review

50
The Hollywood Reporter
| Todd McCarthy

As easy on the eyes and ears as it is embalmed from any dramatic point of view. Read full review

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Oscar Issac as Evgeni and Abbie Cornish as Wally Winthrop in "W.E..''