W.E. (2011)

The affair between King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson, and a contemporary romance between a married woman and a Russian security guard.

Director:

Madonna

Writers:

Madonna, Alek Keshishian

Stars:

Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, James D'Arcy

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Abbie Cornish	...	Wally Winthrop
Andrea Riseborough	...	Wallis Simpson
James D'Arcy	...	Edward
Oscar Isaac	...	Evgeni
Richard Coyle	...	William Winthrop
David Harbour	...	Ernest
James Fox	...	King George V
Judy Parfitt	...	Queen Mary
Haluk Bilginer	...	Mohamed Al-Fayed
Geoffrey Palmer	...	Stanley Baldwin
Natalie Dormer	...	Elizabeth
Laurence Fox	...	Bertie
Douglas Reith	...	Lord Brownlow
Katie McGrath	...	Lady Thelma
Christina Chong	...	Tenten

Storyline

In 1998, an auction of the estate of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor causes great excitement. For one woman, Wally Winthrop, it has much more meaning. Wally becomes obsessed by their historic love story. As she learns more about the sacrifices involved, Wally gains her own courage to find happiness.

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Plot Keywords:

love | king | auction | unfaithfulness | royal romance | 

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Genres:

Drama | History | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some domestic violence, nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [jp]

Country:

UK

Language:

English French Russian

Release Date:

20 January 2012 (UK)

Also Known As:

El romance del siglo

Filming Locations:

Cap d'Antibes, Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$47,074 (USA) (3 February 2012)

Gross:

$582,075 (USA) (4 May 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Semtex Films, IM Global

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Vera Farmiga was cast to play Wallis Simpson, but dropped out.

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Goofs

At the start of the film (2'40), Wally Winthrop is shown taking a bath. When she turns on the bath taps (faucets), the plug is clearly hanging down but in the next shot it is plugged in.

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Quotes

Wallis Simpson: Attractive, my dear, is a polite way of saying a woman's made the most of what she's got.

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Connections

Featured in Breakfast: Episode dated 3 September 2011 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Night and Day"
Composed by Cole Porter
Performed by Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra
© 1932 (Renewed) WB Music Corp. All Rights Reserved
Master courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

User Reviews

W.E. surprises in all the best ways

I am not exactly sure what I expected from Madonna's latest film as a director, but I convinced myself to go into it with an open mind. I ended up being impressed in every way. Madonna has a great vision. The film is visually stunning, and the performances are all convincing and powerful, though never over-the-top as might have been expected. Madonna has put together a great screenplay with just the right emotional highlights, and then she executes the overall picture in the best way possible. On the heels of the success of "The King's Speech," I think people will really love getting to see see the other side of the story. I truly hope people give this movie a chance. It is a diamond in the rough.