In the opening scene of Lee, we follow behind a woman running through a war zone. Bullets whiz by her face. Explosions go off around her. While crouched down for cover, she notices a boot on the ground alongside ammunition. She readies her camera and snaps a photo just as an explosion knocks her off her feet. 

 

The woman is Lee Miller, who is difficult to summarize, even with a nearly two hour movie. She began her career as a model then pivoted to photographer, preferring to be positioned behind the lens. That transition already happened when the movie picks up in the late 1930’s. As tension builds in Europe, Lee is surrounded by a group of creative and artistic friends including Paul (Vincent Colombe) and Nusch Eluard (Noémie Merlant) and Solange D’Ayen (Marion Cotillard). It’s here that she meets and falls in love with Roland Penrose (Alexander Skarsgård). 

 

As WWII breaks out, Lee heads to London and begins working at Vogue alongside editor Audrey Withers (Andrea Riseborough). While shooting around London she meets fellow photographer David E. Sherman (Andy Samberg). Feeling like she could be doing more, she finds a way to get involved as a war photojournalist alongside Sherman. 

 

The movie uses the familiar biopic formula of an elderly Lee being interviewed by a journalist in 1977. She narrates her own life and adds context to the events we see unfolding on screen. Despite the action-packed story, the movie never quite generates the kind of tense, fiery level of emotion you’d expect. Screenwriters Liz Hannah, Marion Hume, and John Collee’s valiant attempts to weave in important and valid commentary on gender and war fall a bit flat. Those dialogue moments often feel stilted and forced. The most emotional and impactful scenes forgo dialogue altogether like when Lee and David photograph scenes of a concentration camp at the end of the war. Their shocked faces capture the horrors of what they’re witnessing while their cameras document it for us to see. 

 

While the pacing of the film struggles to find its footing in terms of emotional verve, the acting keeps your eyes glued to the screen. Winslet is always phenomenal and her turn as Lee is no exception. She adopts a huskier voice, an impeccable American accent, and a brusque manner. The only time we see Lee breakdown, Winslet captures the frenzied build-up of emotions with ease, proving why she continues to be one of the best actors working right now. She’s helped by an excellent supporting cast. The always underappreciated Riseborough gives Withers a tough, but cheery exterior that meshes well with Winslet’s Lee. But the standout is Samberg, who trades in his impressive comedic chops for a more serious affect. He creates an easygoing chemistry with Winslet that mirrors the real life friendship of Sherman and Lee. 

 

Despite its flaws, director Ellen Kuras’ biopic introduces Lee Miller to those who aren’t familiar with her. It’s hard to capture the complicated yet gifted creative who led many different lives. The movie adequately presents the part of Miller’s life that she should be most well-known for but that has largely been underappreciated—her wartime photography. And if nothing else, Lee provides an emphatic reminder of the power of Kate Winslet’s acting abilities.