The Duchess (B+ or 3/4 stars)
Georgiana Spencer was the 'IT girl' of her time. 'The Empress of Fashion'. And a pioneering feminist in the stifling 18th century world of men. 'The Duchess', directed by Saul Dibb, chronicles about 10 yrs. of this woman's life. And for that small microcosm, it succeeds. Without getting in too deep, we are witness to the opulence & extravagance of both her personal & political lives. Keira Knightley lends her most convincing of performances. The rest of the cast supports her very, very well. If you are a person who typically enjoys costume dramas (you know who you are), then it's safe to say that you will think this to be a 'very good' movie. I enjoyed it.
At age 16, Georgiana was married off to Duke William Cavendish of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes) by her mother (Charlotte Rampling). At first, the teenager was ecstatic (along with mom, of course) that their status was going up a notch. But Georgiana was also thrilled that he 'loved' her ... foolish girl. It didn't take long for her to realize that his idea of love was treating her like wallpaper, and using her body for attempts at male procreation. With time, Georgiana used her popularity as fashion designer/wearer to advance the political causes of the Whig Party; a party devoted to the general freeing of all men (no mention of women's rights, of course). And it's because of those lack of rights that Georgiana's life went down as sad a path as it did.
You see, not only was 'G' (nicknamed by the Duke) unable to produce a son for many years, but because of it, she found herself trapped in an unhappy love triangle with him & her good friend, Bess (Hayley Atwell). Bess allowed the Duke to bed her only because he promised to reunite her with her 3 sons (she'd been banned to see them by her 'own' husband ... something men were allowed to do back then). Because G loved Bess, & because of her undying affection towards children, she allowed the affair. Initiating a 'tit-for-tat', G begins a steamy affair with ambitious political star, Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper). But again, because she was a woman in the 1780's, she had NO rights to form opinions, take initiatives or choose who to sleep with. The Duke condemned the affair; & decided that G's unborn child (with Grey) would be handed over to the Grey family for good - never to be seen again.
G had quite the life. Not only was she a wonderful mother; and adored by England for her beauty & flair. But she also held her own among the aristocratic men whom she lobbied for. She matched their wits (also matching their gambling & drinking abilities). Her Whig party aimed to oust the stagnant Tory party. And she advocated for women's rights. It's ironic that it was her political & romantic indiscretions that determined how the rest of her sad life played out. The Duke always got what he wanted; as did Bess. Even Charles Grey went on to marry & become Prime Minister.
Knightley brings spirit, grace & heartache to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. At times, she charmed me. But I also felt her pain (particularly in a devastating scene involving her daughter, Eliza). Ralph Fiennes is impressive as the stubborn, repressed & unfaithful (but not evil) Duke. And performances by Cooper, Atwell (in a complex, morally ambiguous role) & Rampling are also terrific. The costumes are impeccable. The art direction; pristine. The narrative energy is good. But there isn't quite enough substance in the script highlighting either Georgiana's intellect or her revered greatness. We get an 'idea' of that greatness, but it's not fleshed out as much. We've also seen this tale of woe before (and usually from the England of Old). But overall, 'The Duchess' IS a beautiful movie (on all levels). Admirably executed. Well acted. And it did tap into my emotions.
At age 16, Georgiana was married off to Duke William Cavendish of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes) by her mother (Charlotte Rampling). At first, the teenager was ecstatic (along with mom, of course) that their status was going up a notch. But Georgiana was also thrilled that he 'loved' her ... foolish girl. It didn't take long for her to realize that his idea of love was treating her like wallpaper, and using her body for attempts at male procreation. With time, Georgiana used her popularity as fashion designer/wearer to advance the political causes of the Whig Party; a party devoted to the general freeing of all men (no mention of women's rights, of course). And it's because of those lack of rights that Georgiana's life went down as sad a path as it did.
You see, not only was 'G' (nicknamed by the Duke) unable to produce a son for many years, but because of it, she found herself trapped in an unhappy love triangle with him & her good friend, Bess (Hayley Atwell). Bess allowed the Duke to bed her only because he promised to reunite her with her 3 sons (she'd been banned to see them by her 'own' husband ... something men were allowed to do back then). Because G loved Bess, & because of her undying affection towards children, she allowed the affair. Initiating a 'tit-for-tat', G begins a steamy affair with ambitious political star, Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper). But again, because she was a woman in the 1780's, she had NO rights to form opinions, take initiatives or choose who to sleep with. The Duke condemned the affair; & decided that G's unborn child (with Grey) would be handed over to the Grey family for good - never to be seen again.
G had quite the life. Not only was she a wonderful mother; and adored by England for her beauty & flair. But she also held her own among the aristocratic men whom she lobbied for. She matched their wits (also matching their gambling & drinking abilities). Her Whig party aimed to oust the stagnant Tory party. And she advocated for women's rights. It's ironic that it was her political & romantic indiscretions that determined how the rest of her sad life played out. The Duke always got what he wanted; as did Bess. Even Charles Grey went on to marry & become Prime Minister.
Knightley brings spirit, grace & heartache to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. At times, she charmed me. But I also felt her pain (particularly in a devastating scene involving her daughter, Eliza). Ralph Fiennes is impressive as the stubborn, repressed & unfaithful (but not evil) Duke. And performances by Cooper, Atwell (in a complex, morally ambiguous role) & Rampling are also terrific. The costumes are impeccable. The art direction; pristine. The narrative energy is good. But there isn't quite enough substance in the script highlighting either Georgiana's intellect or her revered greatness. We get an 'idea' of that greatness, but it's not fleshed out as much. We've also seen this tale of woe before (and usually from the England of Old). But overall, 'The Duchess' IS a beautiful movie (on all levels). Admirably executed. Well acted. And it did tap into my emotions.