Duchess enthralls with peculiar romance
A decidedly British humor breaks the pervading tensions among the daunting responsibilities of nobility, which the Duke assumes all too well, the dalliances of society and lustful longing. As one character notes, the only one in England not in love with the Duchess of Devonshire is her husband. What ever is a duchess to do? Wait a tick, can that be Charles Grey (aptly played by Dominic Cooper)? Why, I haven't seen him since our budding romantic interest before my marriage. Cambridge, you say! A member of Parliament! We simply must become reacquainted. And reacquainted is certainly one way of putting it. For a woman of Georgina's popularity however, discretion proves overwhelmingly difficult (if you think about it, servants were essentially the sliding doors of the day - nobles did nothing for themselves). Of course the Duke engages in countless infidelities, eventually taking on a permanent mistress.
Despite the substantial limitations of her sex during this time period, Georgina is a pillar of feminine strength, and she's not alone. Her intimate friend, Lady Elizabeth "Bess" Foster (Hayley Atwell), devises a cunning ploy to regain custody of her children. Feminist themes underlie much of the plot as women make do with the few freedoms permitted them by the constraints of an incredibly misogynist society. The female characters of the film must compromise and manipulate their male counterparts in order to realize their agendas.
The two leading male characters of the film, the Duke and Charles Grey, appear almost dimwitted and oblivious next to their female counterparts. Hardships are nonetheless suffered by all; The film by no means conveys a fair and conclusive sense of life. This realism compels the viewer to admire each character's perseverance and resolve all the more.
The Duchess is not a must-see film but definitely one that might change the mind of a skeptic of the period-piece genre.
Despite the substantial limitations of her sex during this time period, Georgina is a pillar of feminine strength, and she's not alone. Her intimate friend, Lady Elizabeth "Bess" Foster (Hayley Atwell), devises a cunning ploy to regain custody of her children. Feminist themes underlie much of the plot as women make do with the few freedoms permitted them by the constraints of an incredibly misogynist society. The female characters of the film must compromise and manipulate their male counterparts in order to realize their agendas.
The two leading male characters of the film, the Duke and Charles Grey, appear almost dimwitted and oblivious next to their female counterparts. Hardships are nonetheless suffered by all; The film by no means conveys a fair and conclusive sense of life. This realism compels the viewer to admire each character's perseverance and resolve all the more.
The Duchess is not a must-see film but definitely one that might change the mind of a skeptic of the period-piece genre.
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