The Duchess (2008)

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Fantastic!

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Britons might be sorely divided in their desire to be in or out, but there is one topic on which they are forever united - their passion, or rather their obsession with their Royalty. Here's one small indicator. When we rented an apartment in Cambridge, one of the first tasks we had to undertake was to move the huge volume of our landlady's book collection to the garage. More than half of those garage full of books dealt with the Royal family!Of course, the most obsessed over member of that family is undoubtedly Princess Diana. A film, based on the life of her great-great...aunt the Duchess of Devonshire which had an uncanny similarity with Lady D's own life, is bound to generate a lot of interest. Apparently, the trailer of this 2008 movie even used a couple of Lady D shots to ensure that.However, for folks outside the orbit of that royal obsession, this is basically about the life of an aristocratic woman trapped in the social mores of her time, despite all the worldly privileges that came with her rank and status. Unfortunately, the movie could not rise above its curiosity value (even while giving us an excellent glimpse into the English aristocratic life in the eighteenth century) as the events, instead of flowing smoothly, had somewhat of a jerky feel. As if we are given a lesson in history, above all.Keira Knightly, as expected, is a natural in the role of an old-world English Duchess. But Ralph Fiennes is totally wasted in the role of the Duke of Devonshire. Watching this, I wouldn't have believed him emerging with that commanding presence of M in Spectre a few years down the line.

A wonderful costume drama as only the British can do. Great art production, costumes, fine acting and excellent soundtrack. My overwhelming feeling was that Ms Knightley was channeling the other tragic Spencer - Lady Diana, later Diana, Princess of Wales. Even the coy looks of flushed innocence in the early part of the film were a reminder of her. The film lifts a lid on the mores of English society in the 18th century with the impending changes in political and social life. Recommended for devotees of costume drama, history, and films based on real events.

This film was awarded an Oscar for the costimogrpahy. It certainly deserves it. It is an outstanding achievement, not only in costumes, but plot is interesting and acting is excellent.It is interesting that aristocrats could choose to live basically with two women. And then the wife falls in love with a politician. What a plot! And again it is a male heir. Henry VIII repeats itself over and over again. It is interesting to see how England was changing together while America was gaining its independence. Interesting period, interesting story.If you are into British Aristocracy and period dramas this is a film for you.

Keira Knightley plays the duncess of Devonshire in this period drama and in a marriage where they are both sleeping away lets say she getting pregnant via the prime minster of Britain and handing her daughter over to a British general while visiting Blackpool and fun in bed then breaking it off after a quick night of passion Ralph fiennes not his best performance in a movie Jane Austin must helped write the script because it one the worst to date not a movie for everyone only for die hard fans anyway other actress in Hayley atwell as Bess foster and Charles Fox at the time furture prime minster,speecmaker,Charles Grey and various other maids and servants alike plus servants to duncess.