The Duchess

The Duchess (2009) starring Keira Knightley, Dominic Cooper, Ralph Fiennes and Charlotte Rampling.

Before...for me there was a real emotional connection even before I saw it, as part of it was filmed at Clandon Park, where I am having my wedding reception this summer. I had also heard fantastic things from a whole variety of people. So I went into it with a lot of hope and excitement, which is a strange thing to say about a period drama.

At the age of 17, Georgiana Spencer (Knightley) is the belle of the ball and rapidly falling for Charles Grey (Cooper), but soon she is married to the Duke of Devonshire (Fiennes). She soon realizes that hers is to be a loveless arranged marriage, sorted by her mother (Rampling), and her only purpose in the arrangement is to provide her husband with a male heir. She hasn't much good fortune on that front, producing two daughters and having several miscarriages as well and it is many years before she succeeds. What relationship she does have with her husband breaks down completely when he begins what proves to be a lifelong affair with her best friend, Bess Foster. She does make a life for herself, becoming quite active in politics, where she rekindles an affair with up and coming politician Grey.

The Duchess of Devonshire was seen as one of the first It girls, and her life has often been compared to Lady Diana. Her life was a whirlwind of parties, drinking, gambling and clothing, all done to complete extravagance. Years later though she was a broken shell of the woman she once was.

The acting in this film is fantastic, each actor plays there role wonderfully. Knightley plays the role of Georgina to absolute perfection, if at any point I thought that she could not act this proves me wrong on so many levels. She portrays the highs of Georgina in stark contrast to the lows of her life. Fiennes plays the role of the Duke of Devonshire excellently, as does Ramplings mother, and even Dominic Cooper does well.

The plot is fantastic, it delivers the right amounts of fun and frivolity with the stark contrast of the depression and break down later on in her life. It is the small observations of the film that make it brilliant. The costumes are wonderful, the back drop is stunning, everything about this film to me screamed award winner and yet in only got 5 awards, including and Oscar and a BAFTA for costume design.

Everything fits together so well and yet something holds me back from giving it the 5 star rating, I can't pin it on any thing, but I do know that it is in the last act of the movie that it loses its drive. Can we connect that with the point that Cooper returns to the screen or is that being too harsh on him? This film is wonderful, there are no two ways about it. Well worth a watch, make the time for it!

★★★★☆