Of course The Duchess is dramatic. Georgiana Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire, led a dramatic life and she herself was a dramatic — and smart, and charismatic — woman. I really liked this movie, but I might have liked it more if it were a slightly broader examination of the Duchess. I don't mean that they should have included more years in her life (I think that would have been a mistake) Read more

I fully believe that Keira Knightley is well-suited for period pieces, and I certainly have faith in her ability to play a controversial historical figure, as is the focus of period drama The Duchess. Yet I wonder if Keira herself will be enough to make this movie better than just your average ho-hum period piece, as today's teaser trailer doesn't seem to stretch much beyond ordinary stuff. Read more