Duchess Needs More Duking Out **1/2

Rating: 5/10 (30 December 2008)

Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes star in this period peace depicting the superiority of the male, who it is shown can immerse himself with other women openly but yet find it revolting when his wife basically does the same thing.
No doubt about it. Ralph Fiennes is getting older. This is more of a supporting role for him, as evidenced by his supporting nomination for a Golden Globe award in the drama category. In the scenes that he is in, Fiennes is engaging. He still has that mean stare after all these years. Cold, calculated, brooding are the best words to describe his performance here.
The picture is uneven at points where Knightley's mother rallies to the support of the Duke of Devonshire (Fiennes). I guess that's just the subordinate instinct that women felt in the 18th century that the writer was trying to depict. Another total about face is by the Duke's own lover in support of the Duchess when she has her illegitimate son by a rising politician who promises change. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?