Keira Knightley's final 5 films have all been set deep in the yesteryear (her last �modern day� movie existence 2005�s Domino), with Knightley recently reversive to wartime drama with June�s The Edge of Love. Still, it�s a formula that works, as the spill load of awards for Atonement, and mountain of money for the Pirates� trilogy testify, so world Health Organization are we to judge?
Period piece #6 comes in the phase of The Duchess, the tragic narration of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Like her descendent, the late Princess Diana, there were three people in her marriage to the brutish and self-involved Duke (Ralph Fiennes), wHO chooses Georgiana�s only champion to be his schoolmistress. Unlike her, however, standards of the time meant she was expected to be the dutiful married woman, and turn a blind eye to what would now be considered a bizarre married set up. The film charts her trials, including a secret affair with up-and-coming politician Mr. Grey (Dominic Cooper).
A lot around The Duchess is familiar, although not the parts the trailer would have you trust. There is indeed a parallel with Diana (both were loved by the public, both endured honey triangles), just this is by no means �the Diana story.� The �edgy� feel to some of the scenes is very similar to Sophia Coppola�s Marie Antoinette, and the kinda more dirty aspects of the plot echo this year�s The Other Boleyn Girl. That said, this isn�t a copycat period drama. It is a rather fell study of the grandness of class in the 18th Century, and how one�s reputation overrides even one�s basic freedoms as a human being. Our heroine is thrust into a life sentence of glamour and riches, naively believing her marriage is one of dearest, and not social widget. It�s that lack of love that truly proves her precipitation, as her fragile nature is used at every turn by her husband.
As mentioned, it�s perhaps a touch unjust to try Keira Knightley for making so few modern day movies. Firstly, because her current career path has been so successful, and secondly because she is simply innate to play these kind of roles. Her face, frame, and accent all belong in that full point, and to that extent she actually fills this part considerably. Those intimate with either Atonement or The Edge of Love won�t be in for too many surprises (aside from the very racy and at times distressful sex scenes), but she manages to make you empathise with her predicament. Ralph Fiennes now has his �evil b*****d� role down to a very lucrative nontextual matter form, having scared millions of children as Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter films. Here he�s an hardhearted brute, and the c. H. Best compliment you can peradventure pay the performance is that by the end of the film you end up really disliking him. Dominic Cooper is spirited as Georgiana�s true love, simply struggles during the heavier scenes with Knightley.
Overall, a good costume drama with the sand to go a footling bit further than your average BBC production. The familiarity of the mount, coupled with a quite unsatisfying conclusion make it a small challenging at times, but a great turn out from the cast means this is an entertaining, if not thrilling movie.
Director: Saul Gibb
Starring: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper
Out: 5th September
