Lee is a 2023 biographical drama film about the life of war correspondent and photographer Lee Miller, focusing on her experiences covering World War II.

⭐ Main Details

• Director: Ellen Kuras

• Genre: Biography, Drama, War

• Release Year: 2023

• Language: English

👥 Cast

These are the main actors in the film (not identifying anyone in the image):

• Kate Winslet as Lee Miller

• Alexander Skarsgård

• Andrea Riseborough

• Marion Cotillard

• Josh O’Connor

• Andy Samberg

📖 Story Summary

The film explores:

• The transformation of Lee Miller from a fashion model into a groundbreaking photojournalist.

• Her journey through Europe during World War II.

• Her documentation of concentration camps and war atrocities.

• The emotional and psychological cost of her work.

It highlights her courage, resilience, and contribution to war journalism.

🎞️ Production Notes

• The film is based on the biography “The Lives of Lee Miller” by Antony Penrose (her son).

• The story focuses on the middle period of her life, especially the war years.

  Lee is a 2023 biographical drama film about the life of war correspondent and photographer Lee Miller, focusing on her experiences covering World War II.

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  ⭐ Main Details

  • Director: Ellen Kuras

  • Genre: Biography, Drama, War

  • Release Year: 2023

  • Language: English

  ---

  👥 Cast

  These are the main actors in the film (not identifying anyone in the image):

  • Kate Winslet as Lee Miller

  • Alexander Skarsgård

  • Andrea Riseborough

  • Marion Cotillard

  • Josh O’Connor

  • Andy Samberg

  ---

  📖 Story Summary

  The film explores:

  • The transformation of Lee Miller from a fashion model into a groundbreaking photojournalist.

  • Her journey through Europe during World War II.

  • Her documentation of concentration camps and war atrocities.

  • The emotional and psychological cost of her work.

  It highlights her courage, resilience, and contribution to war journalism.

  ---

  🎞️ Production Notes

  • The film is based on the biography “The Lives of Lee Miller” by Antony Penrose (her son).

  • The story focuses on the middle period of her life, especially the war years.

    Main cast (leading + supporting) — as listed in sources. Wikipedia+1

    Actor / Actress	Role / Notes
    Kate Winslet	Lee Miller (lead) Wikipedia+1
    Andy Samberg	David E. Scherman — a life-magazine photographer, colleague and companion to Lee during WWII. Wikipedia+1
    Alexander Skarsgård	Roland Penrose — Lee’s partner/romantic interest. Wikipedia
    Marion Cotillard	Solange d’Ayen — a friend of Lee’s, a character connected to her war-time experiences. Wikipedia+1
    Andrea Riseborough	Audrey Withers — editor at Vogue / a figure in Lee’s story (her work as a photographer and the difficulties she faced). Wikipedia+2theguardian.com+2
    Noémie Merlant	Supporting role (as per cast listing) Wikipedia
    Josh O’Connor	The younger man conducting an interview of older Lee (a framing device in the film) — part of the “present day / flashback” structure. Wikipedia+1

    Key Crew

    • Director: Ellen Kuras — this is her feature directorial debut.

    • Screenplay by: Liz Hannah, John Collee, and Marion Hume.

    • Cinematography: Paweł Edelman

    • Music / Score by: Alexandre Desplat

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    📚 More Detailed Plot Summary

    The film unfolds as follows (with flashbacks and a framing interview structure) — based on historical events as depicted in the movie.

    • The film begins (around 1977) with an older Lee Miller recounting her life in an interview. Through this narrative device, we are taken back in time.

    • Pre-War Life: In 1937 Lee is a fashion model living in France, immersed in a bohemian lifestyle. She meets and falls in love with Roland Penrose (Alexander Skarsgård), then moves to London.

    • She begins working for magazine Vogue. As World War II escalates, she is determined to do more than just fashion — she wants to document the war. Because the UK forbade women from serving near combat, she initially is restricted.

    • After the US enters the war, Lee becomes a war correspondent / photojournalist for Life magazine, working alongside photographer David E. Scherman (Andy Samberg). They travel to frontlines and liberated zones — including documenting combat (e.g. in battles such as at Saint-Malo), the first wartime uses of weapons like napalm (unwittingly captured), and the realities of occupation and resistance.

    • She photographs the liberation of Paris, including the public shaming of French women accused of collaborating with Germans. She also finds survivors — friends like Solange d’Ayen (Marion Cotillard) — and reconnects with others.

    • Lee and Scherman eventually enter Nazi Germany and visit concentration camps, documenting atrocities at places like Buchenwald concentration camp and Dachau concentration camp. Their photographs are among the first taken by civilians of these horrors.

    • One of the most iconic and controversial moments: in April 1945 (right before Germany’s surrender), Scherman photographs Lee in the bathtub of Adolf Hitler’s Munich apartment. Lee — covered in mud from Dachau on her boots — stands defiantly, her act symbolic, confronting evil with her art.

    • After the war, Lee returns to Britain. She marries Roland Penrose in 1947; soon after they have their son, Antony. But Lee struggles: her concentration-camp photographs were censored in Britain, never published — which angers her.

    • Through the framing interview, we learn that her son Antony only discovered her wartime work after her death, when he found her archive of photographs and manuscripts. The film ends with this postscript — reinforcing the historical realism of her story and the importance of her legacy.

    The film thus explores not only her public achievements but the private cost: trauma, memory, identity, and the emotional toll of witnessing extreme human suffering.  

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    🎬 Music / Songs / Score

    • The film does not appear to be a “musical” or have “songs” in the sense of song-and-dance numbers. Instead, the soundtrack is a score composed by Alexandre Desplat.

    • According to at least one review, though, the score is described as a “bustling, busy orchestral mulch,” considered “less successful” compared to the otherwise strong visual and emotional elements of the film.

    • So, there is music (score), but no known popular “songs” associated with the film soundtrack that stand out as separate musical pieces.

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    ✅ Critical Reception & Ratings

    Aggregated Critic / Audience Ratings:

    • On Rotten Tomatoes: 68% “Tomatometer” (critics) based on 152 reviews. The “Audience / Popcornmeter” is high — ~94%.

    • On Metacritic: Score is 62/100 from 30 critic reviews — indicating “generally favorable” reviews.

    • On user reviews (various platforms including IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, etc.), many viewers praise the lead performance and cinematography. For example, one IMDb review calls it “a very honest … biopic drama,” noting strong performances from Winslet, Skarsgård, Samberg, and supporting cast.

    What Critics Praised:

    • The performance of Kate Winslet as Lee Miller — many consider it “powerful,” “gripping,” and the main anchor that elevates the film beyond biopic clichés.

    • The film’s visual sensibility and cinematography (under direction of Ellen Kuras + cinematographer Paweł Edelman), including its use of colour, light, photography, and historical realism — mirroring the aesthetic of Miller’s own wartime photos. Its willingness to engage with difficult themes — war atrocities, trauma, personal cost of truth-telling — with a “woman’s-eye” perspective.

    Common Criticisms / Limitations:

    • Some reviewers call the film “conventional” or “formulaic” as a biopic — the structure (flashbacks, interview framing) is seen by some as clichéd.

    • The pacing and narrative engagement are critiqued: some say the movie lacks strong narrative tension after the first act, and supports cast (besides Winslet) feel underused.

    • The musical score (by Alexandre Desplat) was described as generic / not particularly memorable by at least one reviewer.

    Box Office / Impact:

    • The film grossed globally about US$ 24.6 million.

    • In the UK, it became Sky UK’s highest-grossing original film.

    • The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on 9 September 2023, before its wider theatrical release.

    Accolades:

    • For her performance, Kate Winslet was nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards (2025) and at the AACTA International Awards.

    • The film was nominated by BAFTA for “Outstanding British Film”.

    • Also technical nominations: e.g. cinematography, sound, effects at certain awards.

    Critical Summaries (select quotes / themes):

    • Some call it “a visually-driven, emotionally charged exploration of war, art and identity.”

    • Others argue despite “moments of brilliance … the film mostly feels like a standard biopic.”

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    🧠 My Take on Strengths & Weaknesses — Who Should Watch It

    Strengths

    • If you appreciate war-time history, photojournalism, and true stories, the film offers a powerful, sometimes haunting, account of war atrocities and human suffering.

    • For fans of strong lead performances and actress-led dramas, Kate Winslet’s portrayal gives emotional depth and gravitas.

    • Visually and atmospherically, the film is well crafted — cinematography, photography, art direction all combine to evoke both glamour (pre-war) and horror (war zones).

    Weaknesses

    • The biopic structure (flashbacks + framing interview) may feel somewhat conventional and familiar. If you dislike formulaic storytelling, that may bother you.

    • Some supporting characters and subplots feel underdeveloped — the focus is heavily on Lee, which is understandable, but less on others.

    • Score / music may not stand out; the emotional impact relies more on visuals and performance rather than soundtrack.

    Recommended For

    • Viewers interested in WWII history, journalism, women’s stories, and war-time art.

    • Fans of Kate Winslet or period-drama biopics.

    • Anyone open to a serious, sometimes grim, but thoughtful film — not a light watch but likely a meaningful one.

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    ℹ️ Why There’s No “Song List”

    Because “Lee” is not a musical or song-driven film; it uses a background/orchestral score rather than songs by artists. The composer is Alexandre Desplat. So there is no publicly known “soundtrack album of songs” tied to the film (at least none widely discussed).