The Duchess
by Saul Dibb
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Charlotte Rampling, Dominic Cooper, John Shrapnel, Ralph Fiennes, Simon McBurneyDirector: Saul Dibb
Brand: Paramount
Cinematographer: Gyula Pados
Composer: Rachel Portman
Editor: Masahiro Hirakubo
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 110 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-12-27
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
Movie Reviews of The Duchess
Movie Review: What a fine historical film! (details)
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not normally a fan of contemporary movies (witless Hollywood trash) but this BBC film production gave me a really pleasant surprise -- I grabbed a used copy at the video store in perfect condition for three bucks and that proved to be a smart buy. I loaned it to my movie-fan Yuppie neighbors and they want to borrow it again soon, (I'm certain that they'll buy their own copy, they liked it so much.)
THE STORY (mini-spoilers ahead!): A young and stunning lass of nobility is thrilled to become the new bride of the renowned and fabulously rich Duke of Devonshire (thus, she becomes the Duchess); however, she quickly finds the Duke to be rather a cold fish in the romantic aspect of love-making. Still, after talking with her mother about it she holds out hope for improvement of the situation. Then she discovers that the Duke has previously fathered a little girl who comes to live with them. Then she discovers that her best friend has become the Duke's mistress. Then she enters into her own love affair with Charles Grey (future Prime Minister of England)... and so on, and so forth. The subsequent complexity of events does not follow the normal flow as one typically encounters in such films of the historical drama genre. I should also mention that this movie features only brief sexual scenes and is in no way overloaded in that aspect.
This tale is based upon the true story of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire who lived during the late 18th- and early 19th-Century.
I can definitely say this: If you enjoyed Barry Lyndon then you'll like this film. They have much in common, albeit "Barry Lyndon" is a notably older film (1975) and more epic in length.
This 2008 film is shot in widescreen, runs 109 minutes, and is rated PG-13. The cinematography is spectacular, compelling -- it reeks of quality. This movie provides exceptional entertainment and I give it my highest recommendation.
Summary of The Duchess
Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 12/26/2008 Run time: 109 minutes Rating: Pg13Swaddled in whalebone and wigs, Keira Knightley steps into the restricted world of the Duchess of Devonshire, a royal lady popular with her subjects but stuck in an unhappy marriage. If this situation recalls Princess Diana (a descendent of the Duchess's family), so much the better for the purposes of director Saul Dibb and company; this film is eager to draw parallels with the unfortunate Lady Di, even if she is never directly mentioned. Knightley's unsuspecting girl is married off to the Duke (Ralph Fiennes), a distracted jerk who craves male sons, and obviously has never thought of women as anything other than a means to achieve an heir. When the Duchess launches her procreative career with a couple of daughters, well, the Duke begins to get nervous--and partners outside the marriage become increasingly appealing. The Duchess serves up lavish portions of Brit-movie staples: costumes (which, in Knightley's case, are nothing short of spectacular), landscapes,! and gorgeous music (by Rachel Portman). If it falls short in some vague way, perhaps it's because the film is a mostly one-note affair, meaning exactly what it seems to mean at every moment. Charlotte Rampling appears too briefly as Knightley's mother, and Dominic Cooper and Hayley Atwell (from Brideshead Revisited), rising stars both, contribute attractive lures for the principals. They prove the old movie adage: there's a lot to be said for eye candy. --Robert Horton
Stills from The Duchess (Click for larger image)
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