CROWNED CLASSIC

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Not a long time ago, a film called Marie Antoinette won an Oscar for Best Costume Design. I watched it only for the costumes. It is a nice movie but somehow it bores me to death. Last March, a film from England called The Duchess won an Oscar for the same category. It was never shown here in our country before or after the Oscar fever until the European Union decided to include it in their Film Festival this week in Shangrila Cineplex. The Duchess may not be a pleaser for the mainstream audiences but it is definitely one of the best period drama film I've seen in a long time.

FILM PREMISE: Set at the end of the 18th Century this is the true story of The Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Cavendish whose personal and professional life and conditioned sense of fashion and glamour made her all the rage in England and led her to a royal life of triumph and tragedy. Intelligent as a whip and eventual leader of the progressive Whig party, Georgiana had it all--except the one thing she wanted most, the love of her husband The Duke , who became so preoccupied with siring a son that he turned to open affairs with other women, including his wife’s best friend, Bess .This embarrassment and knavery by her husband and friend leads to her own endeavor at quixotic happiness in a hot affair with the reformist, Charles Grey.
This beautiful film is really scandalous. If you are an open-minded individual who can endure watching the immoral lives of these aristocrats then good for you. But this movie is not trying to preach or anything. It only tells the glamorous and somewhat shameful biography of these blue blood personalities during the 18th Century. Some are saying this is actually based on the controversial love affair of the late Princess Diana hmmm.... I don't know. Maybe there is a similarity but this is Lady Georgiana's life. For me her life is really gripping. How can you possibly live in a castle with your husband while he is screwing his mistress who happens to be your bestfriend and you can hear their moaning and loud orgasm entirely! That's the bittersweet life of Georgiana. But she is elegant and a strong one. She fights back! Not that bloody combat at all but she prefers something smoldering in bed. Yeah, she has an intimate sexual affair with a handsome politician and that ultimately stirs the situation. The flow of the story is not really boring for me. In fact, I love how the movie moves so slowly. Please bear in mind that their English accent is really thick.


The Duchess is a triumph mostly because of the gorgeous direction of Saul Bidd. The recreation of the 18th Century life is believable. Dibb is very proficient at using the moving camera. I love the frames from start to end. So beautiful! The award-winning costume design helps a lot in making this film a stunning visual.They deserved that Oscar!!! Hands down! The film also provides few succulent cinematography and the real-world filming location is truly splendid. England is really rich in captivating history with all those manors and classic edifices. Moreover, Rachel Portman's music is always spot-on when it comes to this genre.



The Duchess is clearly Kiera Knightley's film, she is solid and well softened. She's up to the task, acting both the appeal and seemliness that made Georgiana so fascinating. I'm just sad that they snubbed her for an Oscar nomination. She is much better her. Ralph Fiennes is equally superb, using his very appreciable acting talent to forestall the often slimy duke from becoming a one-note cartoon character. Their scenes together are spectacularly well-acted. They don't look good together though and it's a good factor in the story that they should not be compatible at all. Hayley Atwell provides a stirring supporting role as Bess, the third wheel in a very complex relationship. Most of all, Dominic Cooper is always a surprise. He's gone matured already. His smoldering sex scene with Keira is stylish and really wow. Cooper must strip more in his future projects.


This film is a little bland for popcorn moviegoers. I don't wanna argue coz it's relatively true. The Duchess is a slow drama film. But being sluggish is goodish sometimes.It deserves the nod for playing honest and straight. This is a remarkable film despite being scandalous. The elegance of the film and the superb acting from Kiera make this film a crowned classic.