As much as most of us love fashion, we have a fairly limited appreciation of what the word "couture" actually means.
Madonna seems to be determined to bring that back with "W.E.", a movie she’s directing about the 1930s and 40s style icons the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. "W.E." (it stands for Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII) stars Andrea Riseborough and James D’Arcy as the American heiress and the English royal, who at the time were one of the world’s most watched couples
W.E., directed by Madonna and co-written with her friend Alek Keshishian (who directed Truth or Dare), focuses on two love stories: that of Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough) and Britain’s King Edward VIII (James D’Arcy), who gave up the throne to marry the twice-divorced American, and that of a contemporary New Yorker named Wally (Abbie Cornish), who falls for a security guard at Sotheby’s and who identifies with that other, most sensational love affair of the 20th century.After Edward abdicated, in 1936, he became the Duke of Windsor. As his wife, Wallis automatically became a duchess, but she was denied the title Her Royal Highness. It’s not surprising that Madonna chose this topic for her first feature film as a director; for 50 years the Windsors were known for their rebelliousness, their extravagance, and their impeccable taste.
“It was easy to get swept up in the historical relevance and epic romance of Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII,” she says. “The fact that they were also the fashion icons of their day added to their allure for me. Wallis was the epitome of style and grace, and Andrea Riseborough captured this and so much more.” The fashions, modeled here by Riseborough and D’Arcy, were the special domain of Madonna's longtime collaborator Arianne Phillips. The Oscar-nominated costume designer worked with such labels as Cartier, Dior, and Dunhill for the 60 or so wardrobe changes in the film. “Wallis and the Duke both made a lifestyle out of presentation. . . . It was a beautiful façade,” says Phillips. “He said that because she never got a title he gave her jewelry to make her feel royal.”
This Game Sucks
A Guide To Giving New Games a Chance
It's hard to get into a new groove once we've settled into a favorite pattern of doing something and that includes playing new games or trying a new game system. It's important to remember however that just because you're not used to the way a new game plays or the way that a new system runs - it doesn't mean that there's something wrong with it. The following offers some advice on how to get over the hurdle of giving new games a chance.
1. Accept the errors of your ways. Nothing is perfect and that includes video games, the system that it plays on, and dare we say - even you! While trying a new game, you're bound to trip all over the place and make even some of the most goofiest mistakes that anyone could ever make. Try to remember that flaws are inevitable and the even the master of all masters (that's you) can blunder your way through a new game. Mistakes don't make you a terrible player. On the other hand, they don't make the game stupid or dumb. In fact, it's quite the opposite. If you find yourself making mistakes during a new game, it's time that to slow down and give this game a second and more serious look. If something in the game tripped you up - you, the master of all masters - then the game couldn't be as bad as you first thought.
2. Play a new game when you're "in the mood". What a fast-paced world we live in! So fast, that we mistakenly expect to understand a game within the first 5 minutes of putting into the console! Then when we're not sure of what to do, the game becomes confusing, or just dumb. Never try a new game when you're not in the mood to or when you're in a rush. New games require patience and a thorough read of its manual.
3. See the positive. There's something good about every video game - even the more violent ones (although we're not prepared to defend violent video games). While checking out a new game, think about what you like about the game as opposed to what you can't quite figure out what to do yet. A positive attitude will carry on to other aspects of the game and before you know it, you'll be encouraged to carry on with it and make some real progress.
4. Don't be such a know it all. In other words, don't be blinded by your own conceit or skills in a particular genre of games that you close yourself off to new ways of accomplishing tasks. The biggest room is the room for improvement and your room is no exception. Understand that the game you're playing may have something new to teach you about gaming as a whole. Then revel in it.
5. Continue to play. It's highly doubtful that anyone will like a new game in one day. Keep playing a new game until you're absolutely sure that you don't ever want to see it in your console again.
6. Play by yourself. It's quite possible that if you play a new game with a friend, you'll be vulnerable to accepting your friend's feelings about the game as your own. Play a new game by yourself so that you can interpret your own feelings about the game and not anyone else's.
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