W.E.

For her second stint behind the camera, following 2008’s Filth and Wisdom, Madonna takes on the unlikely subject of the romance between the Prince Edward, the Duke of Whales and his twice-divorced American lover, Wallis Simpson. The film, written by Madonna and Alek Keshishian, also tells the present day story of a young woman named Wally (Abbie Cornish) trapped in a crumbling marriage with a hard-drinking psychologist (Richard Coyle). Try as she might, Madonna never really gets the two stories to weave together in a cohesive way; in fact, there are times the switch between the past and the present can be a bit jarring. One can’t help but feel there are two really good movies here that just don’t play well together. Still, Madonna shows a real talent for storytelling, especially in such bold strokes as having Prince Edward and his upper crust friends chew a bunch of uppers and dance to the Sex Pistols (nobody said great art has to make sense). And she is a good enough director to give the actors room to breathe, resulting in some unforgettable performances, particularly form Cornish.