Overview
The true story of photographer Elizabeth 'Lee' Miller, a fashion model who became an acclaimed war correspondent for Vogue magazine during World War II.
Directed by Ellen Kuras, and with an 8 year production schedule that saw, at one point, Winslet herself paying the whole cast and crew salaries out of her own pocket when the budget was stretched thin, this biographical drama about Lee Miller has been a passion project for Winslet. In it she plays the lead role of Miller, who was a fashion model who became a fashion and fine art photographer. During World War II Miller began working for Vogue, and became a wartime photojournalist, documenting such events as the liberation of Paris, the London Blitz, and the concentration camps of Buchenwald and Dachau. This film primarily focuses on the wartime era of her life, showing how she fought to be taken seriously in her work, and built up a close relationship with her journalistic partner David Scherman.
This is a pretty standard biographical drama, with no flourishes to exaggerate the historical moments that Miller’s works documented, but it is lifted to marvellous degree by Winslet in a stunningly grounded portrayal of Miller, with the stark contrast between her high-society life and the grit of wartime journalism playing to wonderfully impactful effect. As Miller becomes more embroiled in the wartime events playing out, striving to capture the truth of the war without the propaganda, Winslet conveys how the sight of such horrors wore on the psyche of Miller, changing her and moulding her to become even more determined to bring the truth to the people.
Stacked with a solid cast of names that alongside Winslet includes Marion Cotillard, Andrea Riseborough, Josh O’Connor, and Alexander Skarsgard, it is a surprisingly serious turn by Andy Samberg as Scherman that stands out within the support cast. Normally known for his comedy output, I admit it was a tad jarring at first to see him crop up in such a serious drama, but any concerns were dismissed swiftly as he demonstrated a well balanced performance as the horrors of the war played out around him and Winslet.
This is a moving, and sometimes upsetting, portrayal of a fierce minded historical figure, and of the war itself, and Winslet’s own passion to bring it to screens shows throughout. A rare example of a Sky Original that gets a recommendation from me.