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The Duchess

The Duchess

2008
Drama
1h 50m
A chronicle of the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life. (imdb)
Your probable score
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The Duchess

2008
Drama
1h 50m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 46.31% from 998 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(998)
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Rated 21 Jan 2010
70
57th
This movies has amazing costumes, sets and good art direction. I was pleasantly surprised by the acting skills of Keira Knightley. I actually didnt expect much from her. The performance of Ralph Fiennes was good as expected. If you are not a fan of Drama you should pass this movie. The movie tries to compress the life of Georgiana Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire during the age of women's suffrage. The movie barely scrapes the surface of the same. Overall a decent movie.
Rated 23 Feb 2012
75
85th
Beautiful costumes, excellent music and impressive acting make this period drama one of the best I've seen in the genre. The story is interesting and the pacing is just right.
Rated 23 Oct 2013
60
33rd
The look is great, Keirai's better than expected. However the writer/director chose to focus on the drama and misery instead of showing how she compensated for her misery in success in the political/social world. Would have been great if they had contrasted every personal defeat with a public victory. Showing how she turns her setbacks in to motivation. No it just comes of as a shallow drama-film with only the footnote at the end noting that she was an influential woman.
Rated 25 Sep 2008
74
60th
Interesting, enjoyable drama about the Duchess of Devonshire (Keira Knightly) married off at 17 to produce a suitable male heir for the Duke (who seems to care about little else bar his dogs and attraction to his mistress who lives under the same roof) but seemingly only able to produce daughters. Ignore the "Princess Di" supposed parallel and drink in this beautifully made, emotionally stirring, well acted and absorbing film... and my wife and my Mum enjoyed it even more than I did!
Rated 17 Jun 2011
79
78th
I love the score
Rated 25 Mar 2011
70
41st
Pretty good, while falling short of being great. Keira Knightley gives a great performance, and between the cinematography, art direction, and costumes, the movie looks beautiful. Although the story didn't plod & wasn't boring, it was never overly gripping, either.
Rated 27 Sep 2008
7
57th
TIFF 08': "The Duchess" tries to become the new Barry Lyndon; I base my assumption on the great lighting and camera work, and the result is just an admirable period piece (but not near as masterful as Kubrick's masterpiece). Knightley gives what I think is her best performance to date. Entering the theatre with mixed feelings, I have to say, I enjoyed it.
Rated 15 Dec 2008
95
71st
Great soundtrack and costumes.
Rated 27 Nov 2010
60
36th
Feminist History, starring Ralph Fiennes as All White Men, and Keira Knightley as Sympathetic Female Protagonist. Maybe that's a little harsh. The movie's not bad, but the acting is extremely wooden. At least it's an English period piece with a slightly different perspective, thank God.
Rated 16 Oct 2008
75
59th
Excellent costumes, lighting and settings, and Fiennes' and Knightley's performances were compelling. However, I feel the film's emotional impact could have been more effective if there was more of a balance struck between depicting Georgiana's good points rather than just her faults, e.g. less gambling and partying, and more about her devotion to her children.
Rated 30 Sep 2011
40
23rd
If only the plot was as high-reaching as the wigs.
Rated 13 Nov 2011
70
50th
Not bad, not good, but not bad. The story was a little flat, and this may be because it is a time-piece and because it was based on a true story.
Rated 03 May 2011
59
53rd
the duke was a dick, man
Rated 23 Mar 2009
70
61st
A film well done, but just another movie of season with Keira Knightley. The story is good until the half, before could be more interesting, but is only common.
Rated 08 Aug 2010
47
64th
#09#, story, (reviews), Keira K!
Rated 27 Aug 2011
60
60th
Ralph Fiennes
Rated 01 Nov 2012
50
49th
Keira Knightly's costumes were elaborate but did nothing to enhanced her natural beauty. The movie is about the sad realities of women's rights in the Victorian era, especially for the refined Duchess of Devonshire. The Duke, played by Ralph Feinnes, was a dull man devoid of charm who killed any chance for them to be happy together. The ending was abrupt and felt rushed.
Rated 04 Oct 2008
86
62nd
Keira Knightly fans, period drama fans, and Ralph Fiennes fans, rush to see this movie! It's the best thing they've done in awhile; Especially for Fiennes. (Keira can do no wrong, in my book.) All elements are in place here: Script, direction, performances, production design, locations, etc... Just might convert those with an aversion to this genre, too...
Rated 23 Aug 2009
5
0th
No better than brazilian soap-operas
Rated 11 Nov 2012
59
66th
An interesting depiction of the patriarchal (and areas to elude patriarchy) society of 18th-century England, that lacks sparkle.
Rated 18 Oct 2009
10
96th
This one is really made for us - girls! Don't know the reason but all those Keira's history movies made such an impact on me. If you're a fan of drama, crying while wacthing,love stories with a hisotric background included then this one's for you.
Rated 20 Nov 2016
60
58th
ger; [Die Herzogin]; in der englischen aristrokratie heiratet ein herzog eine junge frau, die daraufhin eine karriere in mode und politik macht - doch sie muss ihrem mann einen sohn gebären.;
Rated 11 Feb 2009
40
25th
When the two girls started touching each other I couldn't but burst with laughter. If the makers would've gone full pornographic, at least someone would be interested. Not me though.
Rated 05 Jan 2013
77
49th
This movie started out better than I expected. Keira Knightley was perfectly cast as the posh corset-wearing bird and inhabited her role with gusto. The script was also very direct and to the point, which I appreciated. However, I would have liked to see the Duchess getting more involved politically. As the story went on she turned out to be little more than an emotionally-charged baby machine. A great-looking film but perhaps history should have been tweaked to create a bit more intrigue.
Rated 16 Feb 2009
55
60th
Keira Knightly is in another period piece where she plays another women who has a forbidden love interest. At least this one is based on a real life figureand therefore the outcome of that forbidden love interest is realistic and hard hitting, overall decently enjoyable.
Rated 26 Oct 2008
69
35th
Kiera gives an amazing performance and Fiennes a nuanced one....but the camera's lavish attention to the sets and to historical detail bogged down the emotional impact it could have had.
Rated 04 Sep 2011
62
56th
A couple (...) of very inspired performances deserve applause and awards. If only script and direction had been equally inspired...
Rated 24 Mar 2009
31
13th
I am yet to see a period melodrama that would be something else besides beautiful costumes and wigs and unhappy women. Well for this one you can add multiple childlabours. Seriuosly, they should have at least tried to make a deeper characters or story. Slow, shallow and empty film in the good looking clothes, if so to say.
Rated 21 Oct 2008
78
49th
Mildly depressing. Ralph Fiennes is a revelation in tights, and Kiera lights up the screen. She was engaging and more real than I've seen her before. It's like Jane Austen, but with more baby drama and borderline soft core porn.
Rated 06 Jul 2010
72
65th
Ralph Fiennes and the soundtrack are what truly make this film. Georgiana's story was deeply fascinating to watch unfold, but perhaps without Keira's pouting lips and spastic eyebrows.
Rated 03 Apr 2009
50
23rd
Yet another highly conventional biopic with beautiful costumes, impressive art direction and solid performances. Nothing more.
Rated 25 Oct 2012
60
34th
* Casting, Acting : 4 * Script : 7 * Directing, Aura : 7 * Ease of Viewing : 6 * Naked Eye : 6
Rated 08 Apr 2012
80
68th
08 Abril 2012 - Vista començada (feia poc). Bona reconstrucció històrica, grans interpretacions. Mena de pel·lícula que em manté l'interès. Sempre que s'expliquen les penúries dels rics cal no oblidar que els seus criats i la major part de la població estaven en una situació incomparablement més insofrible.
Rated 19 Mar 2012
40
31st
I don't believe that The Duchess is a poorly made film. Most of the individual elements work, and the people involved in its creation did their jobs immaculately. I just don't think that this material deserved a feature film, at least, not without significant changes to make a compelling or somewhat unique narrative. Since The Duchess misses that, the other parts are left hung out to dry, rendering the film as a whole not worth watching.
Rated 03 Oct 2008
78
84th
Not an epic movie by any means, but still a decent chronicle of the life of Georgiana Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire. Keira Knightley played the part of the Duchess with more credibility than I had thought she was capable of.
Rated 28 Nov 2008
75
32nd
Chooses to whitewash Georgina's political stories in favor of the bedroom, which results in a film that sometimes becomes too much like a romance novel. Regardless of that, Knightley and Fiennes are spectacular.
Rated 29 Jan 2009
85
71st
Lacks the subtle craft of Barry Lyndon and the enjoyment of Marie Antoinette, but still manages to be sexy and visually appealing throughout.
Rated 30 Dec 2008
75
47th
Decent one for Keira...nice job.
Rated 04 Apr 2010
64
32nd
There are some period movies that do not heavily rely on costumes and sets. Sadly that was not one of them.
Rated 17 Oct 2010
25
61st
"As tepid peruke-and-corset periods go, The Duchess goes down with relative ease." - Fernando F. Croce
Rated 24 Feb 2009
65
19th
It features great performances from both Knightley and Fiennes but it could have been a lot better, better than just a period soap opera.
Rated 20 Jan 2009
60
26th
I love period pieces and The Duchess was overall a decent movie but by no means extraordinary. Knightley and Fiennes are solid as the Duke and Duchess but generally it was more enjoyable than memorable.
Rated 03 Feb 2009
63
35th
The sets and costumes look great and are beautifully shot. Despite good acting performances that's pretty much all this movie is. Sets and costumes.
Rated 08 Sep 2008
62
66th
I enjoyed this far more than I expected to considering my lack of historical knowledge of lady Georgiana.
Rated 03 Nov 2010
65
28th
yet another period movie with beautiful costumes and huge hair...
Rated 30 Dec 2012
41
20th
Fiennes good. Movie bad.
Rated 07 May 2009
52
54th
okay movie
Rated 24 Sep 2012
60
61st
Like a lot of period dramas it seems to be 30 minutes of story, extended to 2 hours with endless scenes of big-haired ladies staring mournfully into the middle distance. It's a shame that it drags on so, as the story is interesting by genre standards and well-acted by everyone involved.
Rated 12 Nov 2008
80
59th
Sort of a Greatest Hits period piece: it hits all the popular marks, not necessarily the best. Almost a pulpy bodice-ripper at times, it's still all very well done. But since you've seen variations on all of it before, you're looking for something more. Of course, the acting is great and Knightley is always beautiful and a pleasure to watch, but in terms of the story there's not much to draw from history here other than Women (Even Popular & Cosseted Aristocrats!) Used to Really Have It Rough.
Rated 09 Jun 2011
100
51st
good movie 10 out of 10
Rated 27 Aug 2011
35
17th
Not terrible or anything, just slow and understated in the way most period dramas seem to be. If you're a fan of Keira Knightley sitting in a dimly-lit, lavishly-decorated room and staring blankly into the middle-distance with a pout on her face, you'll probably enjoy this a lot, because that's virtually all that happens in the final 30 minutes. The sets, the costumes, the cinematography... all good. The story... meh.
Rated 30 Dec 2015
79
42nd
Decent acting. The story has a clear agenda that I don't really agree with so it's hard for me to like this movie.
Rated 01 Jan 2011
67
38th
67.000
Rated 24 Jan 2009
71
34th
As a rule I am not interested in any period drama, rightly or wrongly I just think they are painfully slow and always feature predictable romantic plots and this film could claim both these characteristics but its take on the life of a woman in 18th century and the difficulties they faced even in such an illustrious position was eye opening, continually intriguing and surprisingly enjoyable.
Rated 02 Jan 2019
59
49th
Lugubrious and melancholy. One only has so much patience for watching Knightley as a version of Duchess Georgiana who, when in a bad situation, has absolutely no ability or skill for improving her own lot and circumstances. Visually, the film is a cheap copy of Barry Lydon, and they clearly could have taken the time to do a bit more smoothing on the audio -- which sometimes loops background noise with no crossfade. Thematically, this is a film about repeated, ceaseless failure. It drags.
Rated 28 Feb 2019
70
61st
A good period piece with excellent visuals and great acting. Although the characters are very intricately crafted (probably because they are built from real people), the narrative is somewhat under-developed.
Rated 08 Sep 2019
65
18th
Not a very memorable historical fiction film - generic characters and generic drama. Georgiana's romance with Mr. Grey felt lackluster (but that can just be my not being a fan of Dominic Cooper). There's better period films than this one...
Rated 25 Apr 2020
46
49th
This was good but on an average level.
Rated 26 Feb 2022
70
53rd
Basedontrue+hecheats+hastolookafterhisdaughter+shehasdaughter+6years-anothergirl+hayleyatwell+miscarriages/2stillbornsons+Hshowshersexcanbegoodabitlol+snapscuzhebangedH-myonlyfriend!+Hjustwantedherkidsback+dontmakedeals/rapesK+makeshergetridofaffair-preg-makehergiveupbaby+affairengaged-daughterishisniece-becameprimeminister+visitedElizainsecret-nameddaughterGeorgiana(K)
Rated 10 Aug 2022
80
49th
Georgiana was wilding out but I do love that she did whatever she wanted. As she should.
Rated 17 Jun 2023
80
62nd
Lushly and extravagantly produced costume drama, with fine performances all round, highlighted by Fiennes, who plays his most emotional scenes using stony silence. But it is a shame that the movie seems to treat Georgiana with the same disrespect as her husband; the surrender to romantic intrigue in the second half turns the film to soapy melodrama, when there is enough political intrigue to make a much more substantive film. Happy enough with what we got, but there could have been so much more.
Rated 31 Jan 2024
58
26th
Not only does it drag out, it annoyingly omits crucial plot points such as how Georgianna makes up with Elizabeth Foster. Georgianna was an author but no mention of her writings is included. The screenplay just seems like a bunch of events thrown together with little coherency. To be sure, the costuming and cinematography are amazing; but clothes and camera angles alone do not a good film make.

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