This film has come in for a bit of stick from my fellow reviewers, which I think is grossly unfair.  I think Madonna has done a great job in producing and directing this very novel spin on one of the 20th centuries great love stories.  What’s different here is that we have a front story of a young lady called Wally, whose marriage is in crisis and she is hooked by the fairy tale of W.E., Wallis and Edward the king who abdicated for love; the love being Wallis Simpson.  Indeed the present day Wally is named after her heroine.

As we observe Wally looking at an exhibition about the famous duo, we gradually become aware that all is not right with her.  A fact that’s picked up by a very on the ball, security guard (Oscar Isaac).  He notes that her royal interest is laced with her own unhappiness.  Through the aid of photos and items of jewellery, etc, we dissolve into the world of W.E., as we see the story of W.E. float by our eyes.

It is rather clear that Madonna is putting the lady in question, Wallis’s point of view across, which has undertones of her own recent marriage.  They are all there - the main players, kings, queens, the lot.

At the end of their rather tragic story you come to one conclusion that the only crime committed was that they fell in love, and let’s face it, it did last right up until they died.

This fact is made clearer when Wally studies love letters, courtesy of Al Fahad, who owns them.  Kind of ironic don’t you think?  Performances - both the ladies excel; Andrea Riseborough as Wallis and Abbie Cornish as Wally.  Tom D’Arcy, as the ill-fated king, is all right, but his outfits are more impressive.  I found the whole thing absorbing.

P.S. Well done Madonna.