Split Opinion on ‘Duchess’
The trades are weighing in on the new Keira Knightley film The Duchess.
THR’s Kurt Honeycutt likes Knightley but calls Saul Dibb “a sturdy but uninspired director,” adding that he “brings no Shekhar Kapur visual or dramatic flamboyance to the task of bringing Georgiana’s life to the screen. So Duchess will satisfy those who enjoy costume dramas but not reach much beyond that audience.”
On the other hand, Screen Daily’s Allan Hunter says this is Knightley’s best performance since Pride and Prejudice and he also has nicer things to say about Dibb:
“Director Saul Dibb approaches this racy 18th century tale of beastly husbands and broken hearts with intelligence and restraint, keeping the focus on timeless emotions rather than the obvious distractions of the still sumptuous period costumes and stately home locations. The result is an absorbing, accessible and ultimately moving account of a dazzling young woman at the mercy of the misfortunes of love and the inequalities of the age in which she lived. “
In the film Knightley plays the Duchess of Devonshire, an 18th century it-girl with a taste for society, fashion, politics and gambling. The Duchess is set to play Toronto and it will open in the US on September 19.
Filed under: Buzz
Tags: Keira Knightley, Saul Dibb, The Duchess
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Oh Lord…
Considering that I hated the film ELIZABETH with the passion of a thousand white hot suns on the one hand and I wasn’t particularly impressed with KEIRA’S performance in P&P on the other (uh….Ms. Knightley WASN’T the precise personification of Jane Austen’s ELIZABETH BENNET - and I’ve read enough Austen to know the difference), I really don’t know what to think now.
Somebody had better weigh in with a declaration that I can agree with. Just so I’m of the opinion that they know what the hell they’re talking about.
FAST.
I rewatched Elizabeth last fall and I don’t think I could call it ‘hate-worthy’, at most just sort of pointless and mediocre.
“In the film Knightley plays the Duchess of Devonshire, an 18th century it-girl with a taste for society, fashion, politics and gambling.”
Wait, wasn’t this called Marie Antoinette the first time around?
Hahah KB.
I barely remember Elizabeth, but I think the Variety review is talking the look as much as anything else. Elizabeth was a lovely looking film.