You can tell we are heading into the autumn and the awards seasons when serious, more mature movies start hitting our screens. Having months of lightweight blockbusters aimed at the young and young at heart is turning towards films dealing with issues or stories that will attract an older audience. The first is Lee, a biopic about a woman whose story needed to be told, a war correspondent who not only had to face the horrors of the atrocities occurring during World War II but also overcome the prejudices of being a woman. It also has a performance that almost begs for a nomination.

Lee Miller has had a career as a fashion model but has turned her attention to photography. Using her artistic abilities to create pictures that are revered worldwide, she has taken a job as a freelancer for Vogue magazine. When World War II starts, Miller turns to becoming a war correspondent. Working alongside David E. Scherman, a fellow American journalist, the pair risk their lives and face images that will shock the world.

Ellen Kuras, making her feature debut as a director, has spent her time as a cinematographer, famously on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and directing various episodes of TV series such as Catch-22 and The Umbrella Academy. She has taken this story of a forgotten artist and re-introduced her to the world. The film is handsomely staged, with excellent set designs and art direction, capturing the periods brilliantly, including an almost carbon copy of the time Lee Miller had a bath in Hitler’s personal bathroom. This is obviously a small-budget movie, yet it still manages to give the feeling of being in a war zone and emote its effects on those involved. The film really becomes impressive when Miller and Scherman visit the trains filled with bodies from the Holocaust. These scenes are shocking and incredibly moving, making Lee a hardened photojournalist who records the horrors for the world to see.

The film doesn’t always work. Using flashbacks, as Lee talks to a stranger in 1977 and goes through her fascinating life, does take away any tension that the war would bring. Lee’s relationship with her lover and eventual husband also seems a little rushed and doesn’t grab the attention as much as her journey through war-torn Europe. Where the film is at its strongest is forcing Lee to come against the authorities who refuse her entry to press conferences due to her sex. The scenes between Lee and her editor at Vogue, Audrey Withers, along with constant criticism from Cecil Beaton, also work exceptionally well.

Having said all this, the fact that Lee Miller’s existence seems forgotten over time is an absolute travesty. I knew little about her powerful images of what it was like in the war, and maybe now, we will all get the opportunity to explore her work and just how important they are for posterity.

Outstanding performances from an impressive cast. While Marion Cotillard and Alexander Skarsgard are always welcome in any film, they are given little to do, as Lee’s friend Solange and her husband Roland, respectively. Josh O’Connor, as the stranger, also doesn’t have to do much except listen to the stories of this incredible woman. Andrea Riseborough gives another performance where she engulfs herself so that you forget it’s her, as Audrey Withers and the real surprise comes from Andy Samberg, as Scherman. In his first dramatic role, the star of Brooklyn Nine-Nine plays the role with sensitivity and subtlety and is an absolute revelation.

The queen of the film is Kate Winslet as Lee. In almost every scene, this titan of the screen acting world again proves why she is so respected and revered in the industry. Like Lee, she is strong, unnerving, brave, and vulnerable. Winslet easily conveys all these emotions, and her unafraid of her body gives the character even more levels. It is a stunning performance, as you would expect, and even as she grows older, Winslet still manages to outshine most younger actresses. This has been Winslet’s passion project for years, and she hasn’t gone into this half-heartedly.

Lee isn’t perfect, but she must be admired for bringing this remarkable woman to our attention and allowing us to watch an outstanding actress at the top of her game. If you are looking for an intelligent movie that doesn’t have effects or will rot your brain, this does very nicely.

4 out of 5

Director: Ellen Kuras

Starring: Kate Winslet, Andy Samberg, Alexander Skarsgard, Andrea Riseborough, Marion Cotillard, Josh O’Connor, Noemie Merlant, James Murray, Samuel Barnett

Written by: Liz Hannah, (also story) Marion Hume, John Collee, (story) Lem Dobbs and (based on the biography) Antony Penrose.

Running Time: 116 mins

Cert: 15

Release date: 13th September 2024