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Photo: Madonna après la promo de "W.E.".
Picture of The Day from UK newspaper "The Sun" - January 31, 2012.
Film "W.E." de Madonna: Affiche Officielle pour la France.
From Pretty Pictures and W.E. Le Film on Facebook:
Liz Smith: Les pleurs de Madonna!
Liz Smith: The Madonna Weeps! (It’s Not a Miracle, but Pretty Rare)
by Liz Smith on January 25, 2012
New York turns out for “W.E.”
“I’m REALLY not the sentimental type,” said Madonna, before bursting into tears, while introducing her directorial movie
effort, “W.E.”
The star, who was encased in a tight, gorgeous black lace number that reduced her to taking tiny, timorous steps, held up pretty well during her remarks at the Ziegfeld Theater.
She thanked everybody connected to the movie: her actors who were present — Andrea Riseborough, James D’Arcy, Oscar Isaac and David Harbour. (Mr. Harbour plays
the rather doltish Ernest Simpson in the film, but in real life he is quite sexy.) Kudos also went to her producer Harvey Weinstein, known
forevermore as “the Punisher,” thanks to M … to the editors, costume designers, cameraman. She even thanked her press rep of
thirty years, Liz Rosenberg (“Think about that. I mean think about it! Imagine what she’s seen and had to listen to and put up
with?!”)
Madonna appeared to be getting a bit emotional. She said, “I’ve been working my ass off for the Super Bowl. And everybody
who knows me, knows when I’m tired, I cry.” Then, at the end, she dedicated the film to her mother, who died when Madonna was six, “This movie is the story of a woman’s journey … ” she began and without warning, just broke down, much to the shock of the packed house.
In my almost thirty years of covering Madonna, I have seen her only once lose her controlled façade. Several years back, the star appeared with Oprah, defending
her choice to adopt her son David. This was in the face of tremendous criticism and speculation that it was a publicity stunt, a “designer baby.”
Madonna appeared red-eyed, agitated and genuinely hurt, but did not weep.
However, just hours later I was told that the instant the cameras went off, Madonna “completely lost it.”
Stars really are people, with real emotions. Madonna’s tears at her premiere were the most dramatic and memorable aspect of the night.
* * *
MADONNA had received a standing ovation when she slowly walked from the back of the theater to the stage (well, she really couldn’t walk swiftly, because of that dress.) and the
movie was loudly applauded after it was over.
Then, Diane von Furstenberg … Martha Stewart … Calvin Klein … Lou Reed … Julia Stiles … Ingrid Sischy … Zac Posen … Sally Morrison … Susan Rosen … Jacob Bernstein … Lucy Lawless … Rachel
Roy … Ivanka Trump … Gayle King and Liz Rosenberg’s incredible staff of vixens – Karen Moss, Nadia Ali, Alexandra Akins — converged at Top of the Standard on West 13th
Street for the after party. This was sponsored by The Cinema Society and the diamond company, Forevermark.
Madonna herself appeared, with her boyfriend, dancer Brahim Zaibat, and was instantly ensconced in one of the little enclaves that dot the room. It is a glam
spot, but has rising and falling sections, treacherous steps almost certain to produce vertigo, especially the bathrooms (sheets of transparent glass, looking down 20 stories to the pavement.)
Real food was almost nonexistent. The “sliders” disappeared within seconds, though the good-looking staff kept pressing little desserts on the crowd, most of whom were begging for meat.
Madonna had a fine time, but was still struggling to move. It is unlikely she ate a thing. One tiny brownie would have split a seam. She revealed that it was she who insisted on
premiering the film at the Ziegfeld. In fact, she told “The Punisher” — “no Ziegfeld, no
premiere!” Why? Because the great old movie palace is one of the last in the city, perhaps the country, to use a movie projector.
“It’s film!” she said. "Everything else is a digital process now, and I wanted people
at the premiere at least to see it with the warmth and depth that only film can transmit. That’s how I envisioned it in the first place.”
About an hour later, Madonna, and most of the crowd, moved to The Standard’s other big room, where everybody danced like mad, under a glittering disco ball. This included the
star of the night herself. She had changed into jeans and a flimsy top. She sat for a while watching the dancers from her coming tour perform, but finally got up and “got down,” with the
boyfriend. From a slight distance, in the smoky room, there seemed to be no difference in their age. Even under the harsh lights at the theater, she looked remarkably fresh — younger, with her
haired styled in a shorter 1940’s style.
It will be up to the public to have the final say on “W.E.” But the premiere was a hit, that’s for sure.
* * *
“What is it about this middle-aged, double divorcee from Baltimore, square-jawed with a mole on her chin and hair scraped back into airplane
wings, that suddenly we can’t get enough of?”
This is writer Anne Sebba of London’s Daily Telegraph registering the revival of the Wallis Simpson question on which
Madonna has made her new movie. The reporter discusses the advent of Madonna’s movie on the woman who cost King Edward VIII his British throne.
She notes that Mrs. Simpson appeared briefly, but as a villain, in last year’s Oscar-winning movie “The King’s Speech.”
Madonna’s film, released this week in the U.S., adds to the fact that, as Sebba says, “She (The
Duchess) has never been understood.”
Such a positive point of view accounts for the fact that Wallis “has been on almost as many front pages in the last year as she
was at the height of her infamy in 1936, the period known as the Abdication Crisis, which perhaps should now be renamed the Abdication Solution, considering how well it all turned
out.” Whatever … Madonna has tried to understand Wallis Simpson, who seems to have trapped herself in the circumstances in which she won a king.
Wallis then became the Duchess of Windsor and lived a pretty boring inconsequential life after her lover, King Edward, abdicated.
Madonna as historian. She already made history herself when she won a Golden Globe for enacting another forceful female, Evita Peron of
Argentina.
"W.E." de Madonna: Le casting sur leurs chansons préférées de Madonna.
Jan 24 2012 2:39 PM EST 2,024
Madonna's Greatest Tunes: 'W.E.' Cast Weighs In!
From 'Like a Prayer' to 'La Isla Bonita,' stars pick their favorite songs by the 'W.E.' director.
By Jocelyn Vena
NEW YORK — At the latest premiere of Madonna's film, "W.E.," it seemed like everyone just wanted to know what it was like to work with the pop icon as she
embarked on writing and directing the film, based on the historical romance between King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson.
But between doting words about their director, the cast also weighed in on their favorite Madonna songs of all time. "It's like
you'd have to be living under a rock to not be aware and to really know her work. I always liked 'La Isla Bonita,' " Oscar
Isaac told MTV News. "It's a good one."
That particular song got a co-sign from Isaac's co-star James D'Arcy. "I'm the generation that grew up with her
in the '80s," he said. "It's not the first time I've been asked that question, unsurprisingly. I'm not sure it is my favorite, but
it's the one that I can't stop thinking about when I get asked that question."
David Harbour showed some love to "Open Your Heart," adding, "Bravo! And I like 'Like a Prayer' too."
The film's leading lady, Andrea Riseborough, couldn't nail down one moment in Madge's career as her favorite. "I
think she's wonderful, and now I have a completely different relationship with her," she told MTV News. "They're
all incredible, they all mark different periods in culture, don't they?"
When the cast wasn't gushing about Madge's musical career, they were giving her props for her role as the film's director. "She
is really funny, really detail-oriented, meticulous, well-versed in her craft, really impressive," Isaac said. "[She] demanded the best out of everyone."
"Truly I had so much to learn from her because she's been really in front of the camera and behind it her whole life,"
Riseborough added. "I always felt on this particular project there was nobody better to [tell] this story of a couple who were
really hounded. She's also incredibly instinctive, and emotionally she knew what tone to pick."
D'Arcy noted that as a director, Madonna is "absolutely first-rate. She was exemplary. She knew exactly the
story she wanted to tell, she had a clear vision. She was good fun. You can't really ask for much more."
Harbour had equally high praise for Ms. Ciccone. "She was very exact and really a perfectionist and she worked
us all really hard," he said. "So she was a terrifically strong director."
The film did garner one Oscar nod on Tuesday (January 24) for Best Costume Design. At the premiere, Madonna
said any Academy Award recognition would be a coup for the flick.
"W.E." opens on February 3, and the soundtrack — featuring Madge's Golden Globe-winning track, "Masterpiece" —
drops on January 31.
What's your favorite Madonna song of all time? Sound off in the comments!
Madonna attends the New York City premiere of "W.E.".
Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images.
Verdict sur "W.E." de Madonna: Joli, mais vacant.
W.E.'s a royal scandal! Madonna fails to read all about it
The queen of pop's film about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor ignores the evidence, dismissing allegations of Nazi sympathies and recasting the needy Edward as a brooding
hunk
Alex von Tunzelmann
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 26 January 2012 11.43 GMT
W.E. (2012)
Director: Madonna
Entertainment grade: D+
History grade: D–
W.E.
Production year: 2011
Country: UK
Cert (UK): 15
Runtime: 114 mins
Directors: Madonna
Cast: Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, James D'Arcy, James Fox, Judy Parfitt, Laurence Fox, Oscar Isaac, Richard Coyle
In 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated to marry his lover, Wallis Simpson. They became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
Style
Despite its critical panning, not everything about W.E. is terrible. The costumes are very nice. Andrea Riseborough gives a decent performance as Wallis – though admittedly the brittle,
self-conscious dialogue is better suited to her character than to anyone else's. W.E. interweaves the story of the king and Mrs Simpson with the tribulations of a fictional New Yorker, Wally
Winthrop (Abbie Cornish), who is obsessed with Wallis. She attends the 1998 auction of the Windsors' belongings at Sotheby's, hallucinating Wallis's ghost as she idly fondles a pug-shaped
cushion. Meanwhile, her marriage to a nasty doctor collapses and she falls for the auction's security guard. Regrettably, the modern characters are so facile that they barely qualify as
two-dimensional. They're one-dimensional: a collection of straight lines resolutely failing to go anywhere except the way you already know they're going.
Royalty
Critics have noticed that W.E. has a radio announcer in 1936 announce the death of King George III. That's two whole Georges out, plus a William, a Victoria and another Edward. A small mistake,
but slapdash – and it's not alone. The paparazzi are shown chasing Wallis and Edward on a Mediterranean cruise, provoking headlines in British papers like: "Royal Scandal!" Though a picture of
Wallis touching Edward's arm during that cruise in August 1936 was published outside Britain, the British newspapers famously covered the king's affair up. The king's friend, Lord Beaverbrook,
convinced all his fellow newspapermen to agree to complete discretion. All they printed about that cruise was a passenger list with Wallis's name on it. British censors snipped more lurid reports
out of foreign newspapers at customs. Consequently, most Britons had no idea about the affair until it came to abdication the following December.
Politics
The film dismisses the allegation that Wallis and Edward had sympathies with the Nazis. "Most of it is based on rumours," snaps Wally to her nasty doctor husband. "I thought doctors were into
empirical evidence." It's not clear that screenwriters Madonna and Alek Keshishian know what "empirical" means for, if Wally wants evidence gathered through observation, there's plenty. For
instance, a 1933 report by the Austrian ambassador that Edward said to him: "I hope and believe we will never fight another war but if we do, we must be on the winning side and that will be
Germany, not the French". A public speech to the British Legion in 1935 in which he advised his audience to "stretch forth the hand of friendship to the Germans". A 1936 letter from the German
ambassador to Adolf Hitler saying "King Edward, quite generally, feels warm sympathy for Germany". British Foreign Office papers suggesting that a Nazi plot to put Edward back on the throne when
they invaded Britain was cooked up with Wallis's involvement. Wallis's notoriously dazzling smile on meeting Adolf Hitler in Germany in 1937. Edward's frequent Nazi salutes during that trip, and
cheerful fraternisation with the likes of Josef Goebbels, Hermann Goering and Rudolf Hess. Edward's own admission in an article he wrote for the New York Daily News in 1966 that "along with too
many other well-meaning people, I let my admiration for the good side of the German character dim what was being done to it by the bad". There you go, Madge: a whole heap of empirical evidence.
And that's without even getting into the rumours, which go far further.
People
For this film, Edward (James D'Arcy) has been transformed into a brooding hunk. In real life, his relationship with Wallis was needy from his side, infantilising from hers. One close friend, Mrs
Humphrey Butler, recalled a scene at a dinner party when the then Prince of Wales asked Wallis for a light. "Have you done your duty?" Wallis asked. "Little man gets on his haunches, puts up his
hands and begs like a dog," remembered Mrs Butler. "She then lights his cigarette. Horrible to see." This wouldn't be cool, so instead the film shows them getting hopped up on champagne and
Benzedrine before Wallis tucks her skirt into her knickers and dances with a shaven-headed black woman to the Sex Pistols' Pretty Vacant. Unlikely on several counts. Though Pretty Vacant would
have made an apt title for this movie.
Verdict
Pretty, but vacant.
Madonna remercie sa mère pendant son discours à la première à NY de "W.E.".
Madonna at the U.S. premiere of her movie "W.E.", hosted by the Weinstein Company and The Cinema Society, at the Ziegfield Theater in New York on January 23, 2012.
Madonna à la premiere américaine de "W.E." à New York: L'après-soirée.
Madonna and Brahim Zaibat leave the after party at the BOOM BOOM Room inside the Standard Hotel, New York on January
23, 2012.
At the premiere of W.E director #madonna.. Then after party at standard hotel let's dance dance dance...
Madonna with Brahim Zaibat
Madonna with Brahim Zaibat
Madonna à la premiere américaine de "W.E." à New York: Plus de photos.
U.S. premiere of Madonna's movie "W.E." at the Ziegfeld Theatre, New York - January 23, 2012.
Guests list:
Andrea Riseborough
Oscar Issac
James D'Arcy
David Harbour
Lourdes
Brahim Zaibat
Donna Karan
Crystal Renn
Irina Shayk
Jessica White
Julia Stiles
Calvin Klein
Diane Von Furstenberg
Lou Reed
Lucy Lawless
Lady Bunny
Irina Shayk
Jessica White
Kelly Bensimon
Ewan McGregor
Zac Posen
Rachel Roy
Andrew McCarthy
Dolores Rice
Carson Kressley
Lucy Lawless
Ivanka Trump
W.E. NYC Premiere Gallery: Madonna, Irina Shayk, Calvin Klein, Ivanka Trump
24 January 2012
Folk from the world of fashion, like Calvin Klein, Rachel Roy, Diane Von Furstenberg, the dude from Queer Eye, Zac Posen posing, Ronaldo's bird Irina
Shayk, Jessica White's groin, and a rapidly evaporating "former plus sized model" Crystal Renn… There were delightful randomers like Ivanka
Trump, and not at all attention deprived Lady Bunny, alongside music legend (I'm blatantly overlooking the recent dalliance with Metallica) Lou
Reed...
But what about people from the world of film, the world Madonna is desperately trying to infiltrate. Apart from those duty bound to turn up, like stars Andrea
Riseborough (no prizes for guessing who chose that yoke of a dress for her) and James D'Arcy, we have Julia Styles, Lucy (I appear to
have a thing for Teal) Lawless, and Pretty in Pink's Blane McDonnagh/Mannequin's Jonathan Switcher… OK, at least they're recognisable, but they've hardly set the
acting universe ablaze. But all was not lost... Ewan McGregor turned up. Dressed as Bono. Her lucky star was indeed shining on Madge last night.
While we're at it, what do you think of her get up? She clearly wants you to pass comment on it, otherwise she would've gone with something slightly more understated. This was Plan B by the way;
she originally wanted to wear a crystal encrusted basque (probably teamed with a pair of pants that had the W.E. trailer playing on a loop on the external gusset), but then
Lourdes said something along the lines of "It's not very director, Mom."
Does plumes of tulle in need of constant tweekage strikes the right directorial tone?
More photos here: W.E. NYC Premiere Gallery
Madonna croise les doigts pour "W.E" pour les Oscars.
Madonna Has Her 'Fingers Crossed' For W.E. At Oscars
24 January 2012 08:06
Madonna hopes her historical movie W.E. will receive a nod at the Oscars and has her "fingers
crossed" ahead of the nominations announcement on Tuesday (24Jan12).
The pop superstar walked away with a Golden Globe earlier this month (Jan12) for the film's theme track Masterpiece, which won the prize for Best
Original Song.
Madonna, who directed the movie, is hoping her luck will carry on to the Academy Awards, insisting she would be forever "grateful" if her passion project was recognised by Oscar voters.
She says, "Well, the Oscars, the nominations are coming out... and fingers crossed, I hope my movie gets nominated for
something.
"I would be really grateful if it did, but if it doesn't, I got the Super Bowl - keep on going."
The Material Girl will perform at the Super Bowl half-time show in Indiana next month (Feb05).
Madonna à la premiere américaine de "W.E." à New York - 23 Janvier 2012.
Madonna at the U.S. premiere of her movie "W.E.", hosted by the Weinstein Company and The Cinema Society, at the
Ziegfield Theater in New York on January 23, 2012. Madonna wears a Marchesa dress. Marchesa
designer Georgina Chapman is married to Harvey Weinstein, who produced Madonna's film.
Madonna with the cast of the film "W.E." which she directed:
Oscar Isaac, Andrea Riseborough, James D'Arcy and David Harbour.
Photos: REUTERS/Mike Segar ; AP/Charles Sykes.
"W.E." de Madonna au cinéma au Royaume-Uni aujourd'hui!
Vidéo: Arianne Phillips sur la mode dans "W.E." de Madonna.
Madonna: La mode dans "W.E.".
Gagnez des tickets pour la première de "W.E." de Madonna le 23 janvier 2012 à NY.
From Madonna.com:
January 17, 2012
Win Your Tickets To The NY January 23 Premiere Of W.E.
If you are a Free/Legacy member of Icon or a user of Madonna's official app, get ready for a chance to win your tickets to the January 23 premiere of
W.E. In New York!
We have 25 pairs of tickets to give away through 2 different contests:
- At 9am PST/Noon EST on January 18, Free and Legacy members of Icon will need to visit this page and answer a W.E. related question. Please note that the contest will end at 9am
PST/Noon EST on January 19. We will pick 20 winners out of the valid collected entries (10 from Free members and 10 from Legacy ones) who will win a pair of tickets each.
- A second contest devoted to Madonna's official app users will start at 9am PST/Noon EST on January 19 and will end at 9am PST/Noon EST on January 20. The contest page's address
will be sent through a special notification, so make sure to keep an eye on your favourite smartphone this coming Thursday! We will pick 5 winners out of the valid collected
entries, each of them winning a pair of tickets each.
Good luck to you all!
Iconers!
This is your chance to win tickets to the January 23 premiere of Madonna's W.E. movie in New York.
To enter, simply log in, then verify that your member info listed on the right-hand side of the page is accurate, and answer the W.E.-related question before hitting the "Enter" button.
ENTRY DEADLINE: Enter by January 19, 2012 @ 9am PST/Noon EST.
PRIZES: We will randomly select 20 winners out of the valid collected entries (10 from Classic members and 10 from Legacy members) who will win a pair (2) of tickets each.
Good Luck!
Faites une offre pour gagner 2 tickets à la première de "W.E." de Madonna à New York.
2 Tickets to the NY Premiere of Madonna's Feature Film W.E. on January 23
Item #: 292215
- Description
Attend the premiere of W.E. in New York City on January 23!
W.E. is a two-tiered romantic drama focusing on the affair between King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson and a contemporary
romance between a married woman and a Russian security guard.
This romantic drama, directed by Madonna, stars Abbie Cornish, Oscar Isaac, Richard Coyle, James D'Arcy and Andrea Riseborough.
The proceeds for this item benefit LaGuardia High School of Music, Art and the Performing Arts
- Terms: Includes 2 tickets to the premiere of W.E. in New York City on January 23, 2012. Winner will be subject to security
screening. Tickets cannot be transferred, resold or re-auctioned.
- Donated by: Madonna
Click here to win 2 tickets to the NY Premiere of Madonna's "W.E."
Madonna montre toujours aux stars d'aujourd'hui comment se comporter.
From The Independent:
Luke Blackall: Madonna still shows the way for modern stars to behave
"Aaarrrggghhh! Madonna!" they shouted, as if only she could save them from life's malaises
Luke Blackall Saturday 14 January 2012
I've never understood why people scream when they see famous people. If someone screamed at me, unless they were obviously under attack or in pain, I'd most likely run away. The celeb-spotter's
shriek is repellent rather than a siren call, but it does, at least it, separate the rational fan from the manifestly unstable.
It occurred to me this week at the premiere of Madonna's new "project" W.E., a film about Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII, two early stars who spent their time
being chased around the world.
The fact that the film had already had a premiere at the BFI London Film Festival two months ago didn't stop producers rolling out the red carpet once more. They knew people
would be interested. Even in the modern era of easy fame and fast-rising celebrities, Madonna is head and shoulders above almost everyone, having practically invented the modern way for
stars to behave. Even people who are not normally interested in pop music or celebrity want to know what she's like.
Her presence on Wednesday meant fans arrived in their hundreds, penned behind metal barriers, for the chance to glimpse the superstar. But it wasn't today's
Beatlemania-type teenage fans, with less perspective but loads of time on their hands. Rather, it was a surprising assortment of people, many of whom you would think would be far
too old for that sort of behaviour. And by that, I mean screaming.
"Aaarrrggghhh! Madonna!" they shouted, as if only she could save them from life's malaises. "I love you so much! Aaarrrggghhh! You are my hero, Madonna! Aaarrrggghhh!" One pregnant woman had apparently spent 12 hours in decreasing temperatures
waiting for her heroine.
When Madonna eventually showed up to speak to the press, she looked as though she wanted to get away as soon as possible. And yet, the hack-pack only seemed to love her more.
It was the sort of performance that from almost anyone else would have left them disgruntled, but because it was Madonna, they lapped it up. They were happy even when initially
told they only had one question, and when she spoke they laughed at the faintest hint of a joke. Despite the fact she said very little, they were all fixed grins when she deigned to walk
away.
In fact, if they had broken down and screamed their adoration, I wouldn't have been in the least bit surprised.
Faites une offre pour rencontrer Madonna à la première de "W.E." à New York le 23 janvier 2012.
From charitybuzz:
J/P HRO and Cinema for Peace Present "Help Haiti Home"
Item #: 291501
Meet Madonna when you attend the premiere and after party of W.E. in New York City on January 23, 2012! This brief meet and
greet will also include a photo opportunity.
W.E. is a two-tiered romantic drama focusing on the affair between King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson and a contemporary
romance between a married woman and a Russian security guard.
This romantic drama, directed by Madonna, stars Abbie Cornish, Oscar Isaac, Richard Coyle, James D'Arcy and Andrea Riseborough.
The proceeds for this item benefit J/P HRO.
Terms: Includes: 2 tickets and 2 after party passes to the premiere of W.E. in New York City; a very brief meet and greet and photo opportunity with Madonna.
Will take place on January 23, 2012; exact date TBD. Winner will be subject to security screening. Tickets cannot be transferred, resold or re-auctioned.
Donated by: Madonna & The Weinstein Company.
Click here to bid to meet Madonna at the NY Premiere of "W.E."
MADONNA AUCTIONS W.E. RED CARPET MEETING
12th January 2012
MADONNA is auctioning the chance to meet her at the New York premiere of her royal movie W.E. to raise money for her ex-husband SEAN PENN's Haiti
charity.
One lucky fan will take pictures with the Material Girl on the red carpet and will rub shoulders with the stars at the official afterparty following the Big Apple
premiere on 23 January (12).
The Charity Buzz auction is described as a "very brief meet and greet" with Madonna, but is still expected to fetch £15,625
when the lot closes on 19 January (12).
Proceeds for the auction will be handed to J/P Haitian Relief Organization, which Penn founded to help needy Haitian families rebuild their
lives in the aftermath of the devastating 2010 earthquake.
The pop queen married Penn in 1985 and they divorced four years later.
Madonna a failli abandonner le projet de "W.E.".
From Daily Star:
MADONNA ALMOST ABANDONED W.E. PLANS
12th January 2012
MADONNA was on the verge of abandoning her royal movie W.E. - but she changed her mind after spotting an inspiring "sign" on a moving van.
The Material Girl had her doubts about making her directorial debut with the story of American divorcee Wallis Simpson and monarch King Edward VIII, who gave up
the throne for their romance.
The pop queen struggled to secure the book rights for the project and almost gave up on her dream.
She tells talk show host Graham Norton, "I had gone through lots of trials and tribulations to (obtain) the rights to a book about her and
couldn't get that.
"I thought, 'What am I doing here, writing a story about somebody... Are the royal family going to hate my guts for telling this story?'"
But the frustrated star decided to go forward with the film after a seeing Simpson's maiden name on a vehicle parked outside her home.
She recalls, "The doorbell rang and I answered it in my pyjamas, as I do. There was nobody there but there was a removal van and it said
Montague Removal. That was her maiden name and I thought, 'Right, that's a sign.'"
Matthew Williamson: "Madonna est intouchable".
From Grazia:
‘Madonna is Untouchable’ – Matthew Williamson at Last Night's 'W.E' Premiere
12 January 2012
by Zoe Beaty
Well, the conical bras and perm may be no more, but according to Fash God Matthew Williamson, Madonna is still ‘untouchable’. The 40-year-old designer was gracing the red carpet at the premiere of Her Madgesty’s directorial debut, 'W.E.', in
London last night and told Grazia how the pair are ABM (Actual Bezzie Mates). Almost. ‘She’s such a loyal
person,’ he said. ‘I’ve known her for over 15 years. We haven’t worked together but I know her well socially.’
Williamson said that Madonna helped him find his feet at the beginning of his career and – like a true friend – he attended yesterday's premiere to reciprocate
the support she showed him. (Altogether now, aww). He said, ‘She supported me at the beginning of my career, so I’m here to support her
too.’ Madonna may not have returned the favour by wearing an MW creation on the red carpet, but she did look spectacular in a Jean Paul Gaultier
gown under a Dolce & Gabbana lace cape with red gloves.
The Brit designer also said that Madge was without doubt still the Queen of Pop, despite her extremely young age. Ahem. ‘Madonna is untouchable,’ he continued. ‘She is absolutely lovely. On a personal level, she’s
everything you would expect. She’s so down to earth.’
She may be down to earth, but her demands were high during the making of the film she has been working on for the last four years. As Madonna said, ‘I have the same expectations of everyone else as I do for myself. So my expectations are high for everyone, but mostly for me. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
It really requires you to be working on the left and the right side of your brain and to survive on very little sleep. I think it’s going to be an exciting year.’
Asked why she chose the historical love story of Wallis Simpson as the subject of her film, she said, ‘I wanted to
understand her, to find out who she was. And also, I wanted to find out – is there any such thing as the perfect romance? The minute Andrea (Riseborough) walked through my house; her
physicality, her grace, her beauty, her fragility – I knew she was the one.’
And it looks like Madge could be swinging by the UK more often in future. ‘I feel British by association now – you are what you hang around.
One always wants to fit wherever they are, it’s nice for people to be so welcoming.’
Despite an impressive turn out last night, it’s Madonna’s music that we all *heart* though. And she told us that she had the same feeling last night as she did when she released
her first album, saying there were ‘butterflies in my stomach’.
Rumour has it that 'W.E.' isn’t the last we’ll see of Madonna in 2012, after she collaborated with Nicki Minaj on her new album
(and smooched her!). ‘It’s amazing,’ she told us about working with Nicki. ‘She’s the
best.’ We can’t wait!
Matthew Williamson and Madonna at 'W.E' premiere in London.
Andrea Riseborough, Madonna and Natalie Dormer at the London premiere.
Madonna à la première anglaise de "W.E.": L'après-soirée - 11 janvier 2012.
Madonna leaving the Arts club in London.
Express Yourself