Georgiana!

Rating: 8/10 (7 July 2009)

Georgiana Spencer, a beautiful English noble woman, and a direct relative of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, was a woman ahead of her times. In those years, a young lady did not have a choice in the matter of whom she was going to marry, it was up to her parents, in this case, her mother, Lady Spencer, to choose one of the most powerful men in the country, William Cavendish, the Duke of Devonshire. All that was expected from Giorgiana is that was to give male heirs to a man that cared more about his dogs than his own gorgeous wife. As their marriage begins, she has to accept the fact that a young girl, Charlotte, an illegitimate child of her husband is brought to their home, without as much as an objection on the part of Georgiana.
When Georgiana meets another noble lady, Elizabeth Foster, she learns about what a cruel husband had imposed on her new friend, banning her to see her own children. Georgiana, asks William to let Bess come live with them and get her three boys to join their household. Unfortunately, William sees in Bess a who he wants and makes her his mistress, something that at first appalled Georgiana, but came to accept.
Since the duchess could not produce a male heir, William decides to try another approach by raping her. By that time Georgiana had developed a passion for Charles Grey, a beau from her single days. Charles, who was deeply involved in politics, had always loved her, but society prevented them to be openly involved. After all those were different times. As a curious note, Charles Grey's name was adopted to name a favorite tea, the "Earl Grey" brew, a favorite of many.
This tasteful production, directed by Saul Dibb, takes the viewer into the grandeur of the England of the late eighteenth through the early nineteenth centuries in a visually splendid production that is a great pleasure to watch. Based on the book "Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire", by Amanda Foreman, gets a satisfying production by the director and Jeffrey Hatcher and Anders Thomas Jensen. Gyula Pados, the cinematographer captures in vivid detail the places where most of the story happened.
Keira Knightly makes an interesting contribution as the complex character she was asked to play. Ralph Fiennes is hateful as the cruel powerful man he impersonates. Charlotte Rampling appears as Lady Spencer, an iron willed woman who thought her daughter's duty to be married to a powerful man. Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell, and the rest of the supporting players do an excellent job for the director.
"The Duchess" is a feast for the eyes. Enjoy.