Madonna’s second film as director follows two separate stories that are romantically connected ā the love affair between Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, and a New Yorker’s (Abbie Cornish) budding fascination with it 50 years later. Madonna’s ambitions are high, but her way of presenting the stories is clumsy and unnecessarily pretentious, without ever allowing us to develop real feelings for the characters. Wally’s fling with a piano-playing security guard is near parody.
2011-Britain. 119 min. Color. Widescreen.Ā Directed byĀ Madonna.Ā Screenplay:Ā Madonna, Alek Keshishian.Ā Song:Ā “Masterpiece” (Madonna, James Harry, Julie Frost).Ā Cast:Ā Abbie Cornish (Wally Winthrop), James D’Arcy (Edward), Andrea Riseborough (Wallis Simpson), Oscar Isaac, Richard Coyle, David Harbourā¦ James Fox, Natalie Dormer.
Trivia:Ā Vera Farmiga and Ewan McGregor were allegedly considered for lead roles.
Golden Globe: Best Original Song.
