10 October,2009 08:57 AM IST | | Tushar Joshi
What's it about: There's something enigmatic about Keira Knightley that makes her the perfect candidate for period films. This time around, she takes on the mantle of the Duchess of Devonshire.
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Set some 200- odd years back, the story has all the elements that reflect the nature of today's society and customs.
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A story of a woman who embodies everything that's a taboo and yet at the very core is a traditional housewife and a mother, The Duchess is a colorful adaptation of the life of Georgina Spencer.
Married to The Duke (Ralph Fiennes) at an early age, Georgina is thrown into a life that seems alluring from the outside but is empty and shallow from within.
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Betrayal, fidelity and love are the tripods on which this story stands, often wobbling when one of them falls apart.
Her facial expressions and body language command your attention with such power and fervour that you are almost caught in a trance.
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The scenes where she has to give up her child and her outrage on finding out her best friend is sleeping with her husband are outstanding.
Fiennes as The Duke is superb, hiding the pain and trauma of suffering a failed marriage behind his staunch face. Michael O'Connor's costumes are a delight to the eyes.
What's not: It's not everyone's cup of tea. Women wearing corsets, sipping on tea and having tepid conversations may not interest you.
The track with Bess (Hayley Atwell), Georgina's best friend and her husband's mistress could have been better developed.
What to do: Interestingly, Georgina's direct descendent was Princess Diana, who shared a somewhat similar fate as The Duchess of Devonshire. Fine performances embellished with a lush and rich screenplay make this a must watch!
The Duchess At a theatre near you
Inox (10 am, 10 pm)
Sterling (11 am, 8.15 pm)
Metro Big (11.25, 5.40 pm)
Fame Big (2.45, 7.20 pm)
PVR Parel (6.15, 10.55 pm)
The Duchess
A; Drama
Dir: Saul Dibb
Cast: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Hayley Atwell, Dominic Cooperu00a0
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