Lee is the true story of a WWII war correspondent from Vogue Magazine. I sat on this film for a bit knowing only that it stars Kate Winslet as a photojournalist; I had no idea it was set in the 1940s or that Vogue was involved. I’d almost laugh at that but, then again, I’ve never been a female photojournalist in a war zone working for any magazine so I should just shut up and respect it.

And I do. This is a solid, but not amazing, story of courage and grim discovery. Part of the film is just about having the fortitude to demand better treatment and respect in the 1940s. The other part is about the slow realization of what the Nazis did before and during the War. The idea of being one of the first civilians to realize the magnitude of the holocaust was good, solid, chilling drama.

And yet this film kind of plays it a little remote. It never felt as dramatic as it should… coming off good but not great, especially given the gravity of the situation. It left me imagining more than it was showing which was a bit disappointing.

The acting is solid all around, from Winslet but also from Alexander Skarsgård and more so Andy Samberg. One wouldn’t expect a dramatic turn from Mr. Saturday Night Live, but here we are.

I’m glad I caught up with this flick – from both angles it takes – so I could understand the biography it’s unveiling. I know now more about a photojournalist than I did before and that’s what matters. It’s good intentions told well enough.

Score: 81