The Duchess – ABC Film Challenge – Oscar Nominations -D – The Duchess – Movie Review
Director: Saul Dibb
Writer: Jeffrey Hatcher, Anders Thomas Jensen, Saul Dibb (Screenplay)
Writer: Amanda Foreman (Book)
Cast
- Keira Knightley (Atonement)
- Ralph Fiennes (The Menu)
- Charlotte Rampling (45 Years)
- Dominic Cooper (Warcraft)
- Hayley Atwell (Captain American First Avenger)
Plot: A chronicle of the life of 18th-century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life.
Runtime: 1 Hour 50 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Duchess starts when lady Georgiana (Knightley) gets married to the Duke of Devonshire (Fiennes). Their marriage sees Georgiana being simply used to make him an heir, something that creates a cold relationship between the two.
As Georgiana gets tired of her husband’s lack of interest and affairs. She gets involved in politics becoming known as a welcoming party host to the upper class in the area. However, this comes to a difficult stage in her life, where she discovers more.
Verdict on The Duchess
The Duchess is a drama following the life of a young woman who became a Duchess but never felt loved by her husband. She refused to accept just being the person to give him a son and started making waves in society to be more accepted.
This is a drama that shows us a different life that women for the time would never have been allowed to have. The men were known to have affairs, while women were never accepted for doing the same. It shows the cold relationship a married high society couple had, which only caused more problems. The performances in the film are great. Keira Knightley in the leading roles shines the most though.
Final Thoughts – The Duchess is an entertaining historical drama, where Keira Knightley shines.