The Duchess

Rating: 5/10 (15 April 2009)

I think this is one of the only costume dramas I wanted to see purely for the costumes, well, and the leading actress, from director Saul Dibb (Bullet Boy). Set in the 18th Century, this sees Georgiana Spencer (Keira Knightley), an ancestor to Princess Diana, marrying The Duke of Devonshire (Golden Globe nominated Ralph Fiennes) at age 17 to become The Duchess. Adored by the public, the same can't be said about The Duke, who it seems is more interested in having a son that much else, and after two daughters, he feels Georgiana may be unreliable. She meanwhile befriends Bess Foster (Hayley Atwell), who later is found to be a woman that the Duke is betraying her with, but he is insistent that she lives with them, so uncomfortably, they do, even when Georgiana does produce a son. So with the pressure of an unfaithful husband, Georgiana creates public scrutiny, and falls in love with young rising politician Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper). The Duke however is not allowing the affair to continue, even with his own liaison with Lady Bess, and he threatens to take her children away if it continues. So the film ends with Georgiana having her last conversation with Charles, he announces his engagement, but at least she lives happily with the children, and it says in the final text that the Duke married Bess with the blessing of Georgiana. Also starring Charlotte Rampling as Lady Spencer, Simon McBurney as Charles James Fox and Aidan McArdle as Richard Sheridan. Knightley does well as the dignified Duchess, Fiennes may be slightly pantomime villain in his performance, but he still has his moments, and even with not much to recommend, this is not a bad story. It won the Oscar for Best Costume Design, and it was nominated for Best Art Direction, and it won the BAFTA for Best Costume Design, and it was nominated for Best Make Up & Hair. Worth watching!