Die Herzogin (2008)

Die Herzogin: Directed by Saul Dibb. With Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling, Dominic Cooper. A chronicle of the life of 18th-century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life.

“The Duchess – Set at the end of the eighteenth century, The Duchess is based on the life of Georgiana Cavendish (Kiera Knightley), Duchess of Devonshire. The film delves into Georgianau0026#39;s passionate and doomed affair with Earl Grey, the future Prime Minister, and the complex love triangle with her husband (Ralph Fiennes) and Georgianau0026#39;s best friend, Lady Bess Foster (Hayley Atwell).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eKiera Knightley again does a period piece and again looks mostly out of place. Sheu0026#39;s British alright, but a few stone away from looking like she belongs in 1770u0026#39;s Britain. Itu0026#39;s augmented by the fact that her character, based on a real woman, was supposed to have gone through about 6 pregnancies, 4 of them successful. Knightleyu0026#39;s emaciated form is just wrong. What is right though, is her performance. As a mother, as a chasismatic political presence and a woman desperate for a happy life she nails it absolutely.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI could have seen a little less focus on the love triangle and a little more on the u0026quot;howsu0026quot; and u0026quot;whysu0026quot; of this woman becoming such an important and popular cultural icon in British society. The film glosses over how this came to be, and asks us to take it as a fact after one brief scene showing the Duchessu0026#39;s political shrewdness. Itu0026#39;s another case of Hollywood ignoring whatu0026#39;s different about a film, preferring the safety of delivering what people have seen before.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFiennes gives such a quiet performance right from the start but it grows and fills the area. Itu0026#39;s often a mesmerizing performance because of his rigid adherence to societies expectations and rules at the cost of all else. Fiennes occupies the screen whenever heu0026#39;s in a scene. When he and the Duchess argue, sheu0026#39;s like water smashing up against the unyielding cliff. Ralph Fiennes is aw-inspiringly scary in one scene without seeming in anyway over the top or demonizing of what his character represents. Ultimately his character is human and believable; purely a man of his times. His character is so down to earth and in the end simple. All he wanted from his marriage was a son and to be left alone to play with his dogs.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA mesmerizing turn from Fiennes in a likable, if familiar film, The Duchess gets a B+”