Lee (2023) Review

The story and life of American photographer Lee Miller, a fashion model who became an acclaimed war correspondent for Vogue magazine during World War II.

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We are told the rather incredible life story of Lee Miller in flashback form, explaining the different phases and times in her life to meeting her future husband Roland Penrose and how she ended up in Europe and then the UK during World War II. The relationships that were built and how devastating the war was, destroying the people they had been before, that carefree party nature ripped from the shell they became.

A rather facinating way in which to tell the story of Lee Miller, who managed to get herself in some rather incredible situations in World War II as a photographer despite the attempts to stop her as a woman going into different areas. She defied those people and odds to really try and push the boundaries and capture the horrific nature of War.

I quite enjoyed the format of the film of an older Lee talking through the stories with her photos, and her son Antony asking the questions. Things he never actually knew about his mother’s experiences and some of the photographs that had not been published or seen by many people at all until her death. I guess that is a rather interesting way to look at it, especially as some of those photos we would have seen by now. It was also another very good film to put in the World War II collection and added another aspect to that.

Kate Winslet has been a favourite of mine for many years now and it is a performance like this that really confirms why. Shown in different age ranges, and still not afraid to bare it all on screen. Andy Samberg turns into a perfect co-star to bounce off against as well as Alexander Skarsgard. Andrea Riseborough is a scenestealer and has great chemistry in the scenes with Winslet.

I did find it interesting to learn more about Lee Miller, after the reference and mention of her in Civil War, with the main character talking about Miller being her inspiration.