Film No. 4. LEE (2025). 12th Jan.

 

Film No. 4 (2025) January 12th.  1.10 PM  LUNA CINEMA, Cinema 7,  Leederville.

"Not everyone can believe this. Surely they can see what he is." (Lee describes her feelings about Adolf Hitler, as she watches a newsreel with Roland).

 WINNER: Crystal Award (Ellen Kuras) Women in Film Crystal Awards. (2024).

Was Lee Miller the most rebellious female photographer of all time, as described by the Arts in Focus publication in 2024? It's a bit like asking if Kate Winslet's best screen performance is this one. Don't you think?

Director Ellen Kuras portrays one of her life-long heroes, photographer Lee Miller, via the talents of Kate Winslet - another admired artist of hers. The inspiration for the film comes from the biography, The Lives of Lee Miller, written by her son, Anthony Penrose. The rights for the story were bought by Winslet. It's a story worth telling. Miller's WWII portraits remain etched in the minds of a world coming to grips with the horror of war. And LEE is a handsome but prosaic depiction of her adventures. Miller was a strong minded woman who loved photography, life, and men. Her demeanour when amongst men left them in no doubt where they stood. They were in the presence of a woman of substance. 

LEE, cost $50M to make, and Winslet and her backers are battling to break even. Miller, an American hero, has failed to attract an audience in the US. Seeing one of their own depicted by a Brit may have grated. LEE is clunky, I wish it wasn't.  7GUMS.