A Really Good Historical Costume Drama

Rating: 8/10 (2 January 2009)

A historical costume drama with some powerful performances, THE DUCHESS is the study of The Duchess of Devonshire and her battles with The Duke during their strained marriage.
Little known director Saul Dibb gets a dream cast in Keira Knightley (ATONEMENT) as The Duchess and Ralph Fiennes (THE CONSTANT GARDNER) as The Duke. Thanks to Fiennes' uber-talent as a powerhouse actor, he helps pull the entire production up several rungs. Knightley shines unexpectedly bright in her role as the clothes-designing Duchess who steps into royalty and a marriage of the times; that is to say, something completely foreign to those of us in today's world.
By contract, she is to be honorable and deliver the Duke an heir: a son. But three girls later and the Duke is becoming restless. He finds lust wherever his loins take him and the Duchess must simply bear it. A friend and confidant, Bess (Hayley Atwell), soon turns into a lady of conflict as she sleeps with, and then moves in with, the Duke. The Duchess tries to settle the matter but the Duke's power won't allow her any leeway.
When a past love arrives in the Duchess' life, a powder keg erupts. Mr. Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper, MAMMA MIA!) turns the Duchess' life upside down, and when she becomes pregnant with his child, the Duke's orders force her into an impossible situation: give the baby up (and give up Mr. Grey) or never see your children again.
The terrible power wielded by The Duke is pulled off exceptionally well thanks to the high performance of Ralph Fiennes. Surprisingly you loathe him and then, as the film progresses, you actually pity him when he says things like, "Look at them. To be that free." His job and title have strapped him down and drove him into this role.
The forced and eventual consummated acceptance of the Duke's power is probably Keira Knightley's strongest reveal for her since I've been watching her flicks.
The costumes and sets are stunning in their elegance and appropriateness, as is the believable love that future Prime Minister Grey (yes, he actually becomes Prime Minister) and the Duchess feel for one another, even when forced apart by society and their own lives.
This is a wonderfully done film with plenty of eye-candy sets and dark characters to make most movie watchers delight.