The Duchess - REVIEW

Another year, another middling period piece with pretty costumes and iffy storytelling. That's what I was expecting as I went into "The Duchess" this evening, and for the first 30 minutes or so, that's what I got. Then something happens. Something that finally causes Georgiana (pronounced Jor-Jane-Uh, for whatever reason) to confront her cold husband. As her life finally begins to go through its highs and lows, the movie finally takes flight, and those first 30 minutes are nothing more than a mild nuisance. Such is the surprise of Saul Dibb's plainly directed, yet strikingly well acted and beautifully mounted adaptation of the novel "Georgiana: The Duchess of Spencer". At the ago of 16, Geogiana (Keira Knightley, bringing true movie star presence) is married off to the much older Duke of Spencer (superbly constrained Ralph Fiennes), and whisked into a strict, and not terribly warm marriage (the Duke shows more around his hunting dogs than around her). While it's a surprise that the films is mostly well paced and engaging, the bigger surprise is Knightley herself. After looking beautiful but not doing much in "Atonement", she really gets to shine here all while looking ridiculously beautiful whenever she's on screen. Two scenes in particular bring out dramatic depth, though I'd be spoiling things if I told you what they were. Perhaps the best part about The Duchess, however, is the story. Too many period pieces (especially ones set in this time period) try only focus on the "woes" of the rich (Oh dear, we're poor! Now we'll have to leave the mansion and go live at the three story country estate! Woe is me!). The Duchess narrows its focus on to the much more authentic plight of a woman who had everything, yet nothing at once; a woman who, because of the laws of the day, was absolutely powerless, despite her high status. In doing this, The Duchess becomes more effective in showcasing that even the wealthiest (and, as it were, the most attractive) women of the day were still treated as objects, fit only for producing at least one male heir. The only thing that's surprisingly lacking is the cinematography, which while not inconsistently poor (I'm looking at you, Brideshead Revisited), isn't as striking as one would expect from this sort of movie; there seems to be an odd dimness hanging over even the brightest party scenes, which is why it's a relief that the costumes are so damn great. However, let's get back to Knightley. For the longest time, it has seemed that she was the type of actress whose performance quality depended on the director she was working with, Joe Wright bringing out her best ever (Pride and Prejudice). Because of this, it seems surprising, that such a disposable director brings out her second best performance ever. Maybe she doesn't need exquisite camera angles and dreamy tracking shots...maybe she just needs a director who has enough sense to do away with showing off and simply let her carry a scene.

Grade: B+

Nominations: Best Actor - Ralph Fiennes(#4), Best Actress - Keira Knightley(#1 WINNER), Best Adapted Screenplay(#4), Best Costume Design(#2), Best Art Direction(#4), Best Original Score - Rachel Portman(#3)

Number of 2008 films seen: 35

Top 10 of the Year:
1. The Dark Knight
2. WALL-E
3. In Bruges
4. Burn After Reading
5. The Fall
6. Vicky Cristina
7. The Duchess
8. Tropic Thunder
9. Boy-A
10. Ghost Town

Another divisive review of "The Duchess"

This one, from the Hollywood Reporter, is different in that it gives the movie a so-so review, but still gives Knightley good marks. This is going to be interesting to see how much this movie divides critics and audiences when it finally hits theaters....

"Duchess" a disappointing showcase for Knightley
Sunday August 31 9:25 PM ET

In "The Duchess," actress Keira Knightley's latest period picture, a lavish melodrama of aristocratic foolishness and betrayal is designed around the colorful though not always happy life of an 18th century socialite.

British filmmakers seem born to make these costume movies and make them well. "The Duchess" is no exception in this, though one would have liked a more modern appraisal of the subject, Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire.

A feminist eons before the word was invented, Georgiana established a salon devoted to the artists and politicos of her day and even campaigned for Whig party candidates despite not having the vote herself. But this movie, directed by Saul Dibb and based on a biography by Amanda Foreman, only notices these things insofar as they relate to her marital discord and an illicit affair. The movie doesn't seem to appreciate how modern she was.

Knightley captures all the wit, intelligence and high-born manners of a woman given little choice other than to pursue pleasure in a world engineered for and by men. Dibb, a sturdy but uninspired director, brings no Shekhar Kapur visual or dramatic flamboyance to the task of bringing Georgiana's life to the screen. So "Duchess" will satisfy those who enjoy costume dramas but not reach much beyond that audience.

The Paramount Vantage release opened Friday in the U.K., and then premiered Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival before its Los Angeles and New York bows on September 19.

The movie begins with the 1774 nuptials of Georgiana Spencer and a temperamentally unsuitable duke. (Ralph Fiennes does manage to somewhat humanize the loutish noble). The duke perceives his marriage to have the sole purpose of producing a male heir. Years of miscarriages and daughters pass before this happens, though. Meanwhile, Georgiana finds her feet as a celebrity and fashion plate, making her husband seemingly the only man in Britain who is not in love with her.

She even introduces into the household Lady Elizabeth Foster (a bright, alluring Hayley Atwell), who becomes her husband's mistress. For her part, the duchess dallies with handsome politician Charles Gray (Dominic Cooper of "Mamma Mia!"), causing a near scandal from which the family manages to recover.

The melodrama is a bit bloodless, though, figuratively and literally. This is a not-uninteresting chapter during an exciting time in British and European politics -- either the American nor French revolutions get mentioned -- but writers Dibbs, Jeffrey Hatcher and Anders Thomas Jensen find no way to connect us with these distant personages. Probably the most surprising thing to a modern audience is how aristocrats engage in the most intimate and embarrassing conduct in full view of servants who are treated as little more than furniture.

The producers have secured grand estates and stately homes for the movie's sets, and the English countryside looks as splendid as ever. Tech credits are superb.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Another positive review for "The Duchess"

Source: Empire Magazine
The Duchess of Devonshire was an 18th century It Girl: she wore extravagant clothes, threw extravagant parties, gambled extravagantly, even set fire to hair extravagantly. And if that wasn’t enough to keep her busy, she also had a taste for booze, a head for politics and an eye for politicians. A Georgian scandal-magnet, she wasn’t your shrinking Jane Austen type, but this sombre portrayal of such a glittering star echoes the fate of a Diana or Marilyn - the woman doomed to have everything but love.

Amanda Foreman’s bestselling concrete-block biography isn’t short on incident but, rather than cram in events, this adaptation captures the Duchess in her twenties and turns its dramatic focus onto the emotional life of the public figure. In many ways, the picture celebrates Keira Knightley’s duchess as a flamboyant, headstrong modern woman born ahead of her time, trapped in a marriage that resembled a slow-motion coach-crash. In public, and by the public, she was much loved. In her husband’s affections, and as the film drolly points out, she placed somewhere below his dogs. And there she remained, eventually ousted by his affair with her best friend (Hayley Atwell). It’s this bizarre relationship that forms the film’s dramatic core, generating an oddly captivating anti-chemistry from its two leads.
The Duke could’ve gone the way of the stiff aristocratic bastard, but Fiennes’ dry wit and delicate touch make him a far more complicated proposition. For Knightley the part fits like a corset - it’s an enigmatic, free-spirited turn and a role she’ll be remembered for, probably her best role to date in a film not directed by Joe Wright.

This is the second movie from director Saul Dibb, who made his name with Bullet Boy, and the shift to another tone and era is handled with some confidence. The cast and period are immaculately turned out, and events roll at an assured, stately pace, dragging a little only in a slightly saggy third act. But - and perhaps this is Dibb’s documentary background put to use - it’s the more observant, intimate touches that count. Watch, for instance, how the emotional distance between characters is measured out during the film’s recurring dining scenes, across a table so long it would take a week to pass the salt.

Keira Knightley in The Duchess: The polarizing performance of the year?

While it's quite routine for big "Oscar-bait" films to cause sharp divisions among critics/audiences, it's not quite as often that the same happens for performances. This makes Keira Knightley's performance in September's "The Duchess" something of an oddity. For a while, early word of mouth had been solid, yet yesterday two new reviews of the movie hit, and they weren't fans of either the movie or Knightley:

"Keira Knightley acquits herself capably, though it's not much of a stretch or progression following on from her strong performance in Atonement. "

"Production values are sumptuous, but the narrative is mind-numbingly predictable. You've seen the trailer, you've seen the film. The supporting perfs are okay. It's always great to see Charlotte Rampling, but Dominic Cooper has a serious case of the David Beckhams. Looks great, and then he opens his mouth.

"It'll make money. Women and girls will probably dig it. But anyone who has the film on their Oscar charts needs to arrange a revision, aside, perhaps, for the pretty costumes."

-- from Hollywood Elsewhere.com

''The clinical approach to the casting is also being replicated in the drive to get Knightley an Oscar nomination for the performance. It would be entirely unmerited, considering that this is a below-par turn from the actress..."

- from The Independent

And then, to add to the confusion, a friend of mine informs me that her friend (who is involved with the upcoming Toronto Film Festival) told her that Knightley is fantastic. Interesting to see how bitter sides will both get when the movie goes into wide release on September 12th...

Just when I thought I had them all covered.....

I had a feeling I was forgetting something in my Top-10-Which-Was-Actually-13 list of Fall movies to see. So, here's the last one:

#14: The Duchess

Keira Knightley goes to another period piece without director Joe Wright. Ironically, early buzz is claiming that THIS is going to be the performance that makes people think of her as a serious dramatic actress. The fact that she'll be facing off against Ralph Fiennes is an additional plus.

Excitement Level: Good

Finally, a poster for "The Duchess"

New trailer for "The Duchess"

I still can't tell if this is going to turn out good or bad, but it does look interesting....