Title – Lee (2023)

Director – Ellen Kuras (The Betrayal)

Cast – Kate Winslet, Andy Samberg, Alexander Skarsgård, Marion Cotillard, Josh O’Connor

Plot – The true story of famed fashion model turned war photographer Lee Miller (Winslet) whose work for Vogue magazine in the heat of World War 2 lead her to become an unexpected icon.  

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Review by Eddie on 16/04/2025

If Lee does one thing, if not the first film to do so, it’s reminding us all that Kate Winslet is a once in a generational talent that is more than capable of carrying the weight of an entire film on her back.

The Oscar winning icon delivers another awards worthy turn here as model turned war photographer Lee Miller in Ellen Kuras’s relatively low-key film that managed to draw out some minor critical plaudits and box office results on its way to some singular Golden Globe and BAAFTA nominations.

A star-studded affair with Winslet surrounded by cast members that includes Andy Samberg (in an against type serious-minded role), Alexander Skarsgård, Marion Cotillard and Josh O’Connor, Lee is for all intents and purposes a prestige drama that you’d be right in expecting a lot from and while sadly this never comes to a fruition in a rather paint by numbers affair, there’s still something to be found from Winslet’s committed turn.

Clocking in at just under two hours in length, Lee covers a lot of ground as it explores multiple decades of Miller’s life with a focus on her time working for Vogue magazine helping cover their World War 2 coverage and even as Kuras’s direction and storytelling falters at times to keep us fully engaged, Winslet is more than up to the task of ensuring Lee never dips to levels that would’ve made it a film worth skipping.

Having built a career out of playing larger than life figures and humanly relatable characters in a range of projects, Winslet’s skillset is arguably unmatched by many currently operating Hollywood starlets and her performance as Miller ranks as one of the better turns of her recent period that includes highs such as hit mini-series Mare of Easttown and some curious misses such as Wonder Wheel, Ammonite or failed prestige HBO offering The Regime.

Giving Miller the right amount of arrogance and self-assuredness that the character needed while keeping her grounded when she needs to be, a lot is asked of Winslet as she transforms from socialite fashion model to rugged and determined wartime journalist but she’s more than up for the task, elevating herself above Lee as the film struggles to become more than a paint by numbers experience that fails to maximise the loaded cast or narrative that lays within its grasp.

A rather forgettable experience overall that could’ve and perhaps should’ve been more of an experience one couldn’t forget, any chance we get to witness a master at work is one worth taking and Winslet provides just that.

Final Say –

A mostly generic affair about a very unique true life character, Lee may not be a must-see but it’s held up by a typically strong Kate Winslet performance that makes it more than the sum of its parts.

3 outdoor picnics out of 5