W.E.

Todd: One of the surprising things I discovered in this series is that Madonna has shockingly highbrow taste in movies.


 * Clip of trailer for Filth and Wisdom

Todd (VO): You wouldn't have guessed that from her grotty, low-budget directorial debut, Filth and Wisdom, but that has to be seen as just a trial run, a warmup for something more ambitious.

Todd: But few would've imagined how high she would aim with her follow-up.


 * Clip of trailer for W.E.
 * VO: Some people called it the greatest love story of the 20th century. The king who gave up his throne for the woman he loved.

Todd (VO): The second movie she directed was W.E., a high-tone, prestige costume drama about the famous true story of Wallis Simpson, the woman for whom King Edward VIII...

Todd: ...famously gave up the throne.


 * Picture of Wallis Simpson following by clip from...

Todd (VO): You may remember this historical figure for her brief but pivotal role in the Oscar-winning The King's Speech, where she was portrayed as...

Todd: ...basically a...

Todd (VO): ...Nazi-loving slut who slept her way to the top and manipulated the stupid, lazy ass-wipe King Edward into abandoning his responsibility to his country, and forcing Colin Firth to step up and do the job that Edward should have been doing instead of banging his vulgar, useless harlot of a wife.

Todd: It's not a sympathetic portrayal, is what I'm saying. Perhaps it is unfair to her.


 * Clip of interview with Madonna

Todd (VO): Certainly, that is the opinion of Madonna, who has always been fascinated with scandalous women in history. [Trailer for the movie] So, just a year after King's Speech, Madonna directed a second movie, one that would set the record straight about the Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson. Now the truth will be told, and the whole world will understand all she gave up and withstood to be with the man she loved, and why she deserves our love and respect.

Todd: I mean, unless the movie gets immediately destroyed with negative reviews. What are the odds of that happening? To a movie by Madonna, filmmaker of our time. It couldn't possibly happen. There's absolutely no way that this film wouldn't be a roaring success. [Starts desperately laughing] Why, the idea of this movie failing is just laughable. I'm laughing right now thinking about it. [Laughs, cut off by...]

Cinemadonna intro

Todd: Okay, well, obviously, the reason this movie failed was that awful title, like...


 * Movie begins

Todd (VO): ...how do you even pronounce that? Is it W.E., or just We? W/E?

Todd: What was that even stand for?


 * Dinner guest: Who's "WE"?
 * Partner: Wallis and Edward, silly.

Todd: Yeah, uh, when couples go by their initials, [picture of card reading "J + E"] they're supposed to use an ampersand.

Transcript in progress