Madonna’s Misguided Leap from Pop Icon to Film Director
Madonna’s shift from the stage to the director’s chair proved as turbulent as her acting career, with her ambitious films drawing more criticism than acclaim—and even she admits she was out of her depth.
When Madonna finally called time on her acting pursuits, few in the film world mourned the loss. Perhaps only the organisers of the Razzies felt the sting, deprived of their most reliable nominee. The pop legend had amassed nine of their infamous awards, a tally that spoke volumes about her on-screen reputation. After a brief appearance in 'Die Another Day' and a voice role in 'Arthur and the Invisibles' back in 2006, she quietly stepped away from the limelight, at least as far as acting was concerned.
Yet, the lure of cinema proved too strong to resist entirely. Rather than performing, Madonna decided to try her hand at directing. Her first full-length effort, 'Filth & Wisdom', which she co-wrote, brimmed with ambition but struggled to find its footing. The film’s lack of coherence and polish was hard to ignore, though she did manage to dodge nominations for 'Worst Picture' and 'Worst Director'—a small mercy, all things considered.
From Ambition to Overreach
Undaunted by her debut’s lukewarm reception, Madonna pressed on with a second project, the historical drama 'WE'. This time, the scale of the story quickly overwhelmed her. Despite the film’s Academy Award nomination for 'Best Costume Design' and a Golden Globe win for 'Best Original Song'—thanks to her own track, 'Masterpiece'—the positives were few and far between. The film’s box office performance was dismal, recouping less than a fifth of its budget, and critical response was, if anything, even harsher than before.
Initially, Madonna intended to write the screenplay solo. It didn’t take long for her to realise she was in over her head. She enlisted Alek Keshishian, who had previously directed her in 'Truth or Dare', to help shape the script. As she explained in an interview,
“I started writing it on my own, and then I realised that I needed help. It’s just too big a subject. I quite like the idea of collaborating in general. Not only is it lonely to do things on your own creatively, it’s also kind of arrogant. I guess some people are brilliant enough to be brilliant on their own and never doubt anything and come up with fabulous things.”
Collaboration and Criticism
Even with a co-writer on board, the end result was far from a triumph. 'WE' was panned by critics, and it’s hard to argue with their assessment. The film’s narrative felt muddled, and the attempt to weave together two timelines left audiences cold. Madonna herself admitted she struggled to distil the sprawling story into a workable script, and the final product bore the marks of that struggle.
Her foray into directing, much like her acting career, failed to win over the public or the critics. Two consecutive box office flops, each met with a chorus of disapproval, did little to inspire confidence in her cinematic ambitions. The prospect of Madonna directing her own biopic, a project she has floated in the past, seems no less questionable now than it did at the outset.