W/E

The W stands for Wallis Simpson and the E for Edward, the heir to the English throne. Their story was known as the love story of the century.
Madonna was the director and apparently made the film because she was intrigued with the fact that a man would give up all his power for a woman. I was also intrigued with the love story.
I don’t for a minute believe the film totally stuck to facts but it did give a glimpse into the life style of the royals and how this story came about. I adored the costumes, the lavish sets and the historical period.
The film had a good story to tell. Unfortunately the execution of the film didn’t totally work.
Two love stories are told at the same time. The historical royal part was from a different era. A modern day love story is also told of a young American woman also called Wallis ( Wally). She is obsessed with the royal story and spends a lot of time researching information about the relationship between Wallis and Edward ( also called David) She spends a great deal of time at a current auction of many of Wallis’s material possessions. She even bids an extraordinary amount of money to purchase an item.
Wallis Simpson had previously been married twice to Americans before meeting Edward, the Duke. She was attractive, sensual and a social climber. In the film Edward falls for Simpson and cannot live without her. He gives up the throne and his family and is forced to leave England. Most of the time the couple live in France.
A parallel story is told of a young girl Wally, living in the 1990’s. She is infatuated with the royal love story. She also had been married. Her husband was a doctor but was abusive to her and totally unfaithful. Her love story begins when she meets a kind young man who really cares for her.
The film bounces around a lot between the two stories. Madonna uses a few gimmicks which were rather creative and effective. Wally ( our modern day heroine) can be seen having a discussion with the Wallis of former days.
The film needs some editing to make it run smoother. All in all I did get a glimpse into that historical story and it was fun to view the cinematography of the palatial life style.
No awards here. It was just a fun film to satisfy my curiosity.