What Do The Critics Say?

"Georgiana is the subject of this absorbing period piece. Based on the biography Georgiana: Duchess Of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman, it charts the troubled, fascinating life of a woman who was married to "the most powerful peer in England". Portrayed by the reigning queen of corsets, Keira Knightley, the film focuses on Georgiana's uneasy relationship with her taciturn, distant husband: the much older William Cavendish, Duke Of Devonshire. As Cavendish, Fiennes is perfectly cast as the unlikeable duke. Fiennes is nevertheless in his element, and finding fault with his or Knightley's performances is to grasp negatively at straws." Annette Basile FILMINK ""The Duchess is a handsome historical film, impeccably mounted, gowned, wigged and feathered." Roger Ebert CHICAGO SUN-TIMES "Mouth watering scandal, a juicy love triangle and high powered men behaving badly make this a solid drama about character and society in 18th century England. The film looks fabulous, thanks to top production design and cinematography. Rachel Portman's score also works a treat, and the film's core themes are cleverly handled by director Saul Dibb." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE "Fiennes and Knightley are exceptional in their roles and Dibb proves himself ably in his first big-budget flick. Georgiana seems to be a character worth knowing." Linda Barnard TORONTO STAR "Provided you don't take it seriously, it makes for an addictively entertaining diversion that's as hard to stop watching as the books are to stop reading. Georgiana was the great, great, great, great, aunt of Diana, ex-wife of Prince Charles. Like Di, she was glamorous and beloved by her public. She did not, however, win the heart of her husband, William, Duke of Devonshire. The rich, unrepentant philanderer loved his young bride "in the way he understands love," which was somewhat less than the regard he held for his dogs." SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

"Keira Knightley is really splendid as Georgiana, she captures the youthful enthusiasm of this remarkably talented woman who was a fashion icon of her time as well as an enthusiastic gambler and dabbler in literary and political matters. And Ralph Fiennes is also terrific as the removed, selfish, but not entirely hateable Duke. The story features one of the most famous menage-a-trois in history when the Duke installs Georgiana’s friend Lady Bess Foster, in their household as his mistress." Margaret Pomeranz ABC AT THE MOVIES "This is scandal-mongering fun that also lays bare the deforming power of the male aristocracy." J.R.Jones CHICAGO READER "Knightley is up to the task. Her Georgiana is history with a human face." Stephanie Zacharek SALAON.COM "The surprising thing about The Duchess, a bodice ripper based on Amanda Foreman's biography Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, is what a classy film it turns out to be. But then first time feature director Saul Dibb has assembled a great cast, for a film which is being promoted is a kind of prequel to the life of Diana Spencer. As Georgiana, Keira Knightley is spirited and deft. Now that he seems past his fey middle period, Ralph Fiennes is doing some amazingly good work onscreen." Julie Rigg ABC MOVIETIME "Though extravagantly pretty, The Duchess still manages to be a costume drama in which the drama survives the costumes. In the midst of it all is Knightley, part fashion diva, part rock star, part porcelain doll, and she acquits herself well. 'Duchess' drama is timeless." Tom Long DETROIT NEWS "Rachel Portman colours her distinctively phrased score with Bach, Mozart and Beethoven as the tension and passions of the story evolve. Manicured gardens with lakes and swans, chandeliers, book-lined walls, tapestries and a privileged lifestyle. It is easy to become immersed in the plight of these characters whose story is profoundly moving and satisfying." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE

The Inside Story Based on the remarkable, true story of the beautiful, powerful and notoriously scandalous Duchess of Devonshire, "The Duchess" unfolds the tale of a woman who became one of the world’s first celebrities, who was adored by all the people of England, save one: her husband, the Duke. Once she marries him, she will attain the very heights of society. Whatever she wears will become the fashion of the day. Whatever party she throws will be the place to be at the moment. And whoever desires political office will seek out her influential endorsement. Yet, for all her power and notoriety, for all the affection she receives from the masses, she will have to break all of society’s rules, and sacrifice everything, to set her own passionate heart free. If this story sounds decidedly contemporary, that might be in part because the Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Spencer (b. June 7th 1757 d. March 30th 1806), seems to have shared a twin destiny of fame and adoration, as well as adultery and controversy, with an ancestor who lived 200 years later: Lady Diana, the Princess of Wales (b. 1st July 1961 d. 31st August 1997). The similarities between the two are striking. For though Georgiana was born in a time of rigid social rules and extraordinary aristocratic power, she was, like Diana, a vivacious, bright, alluring woman who transcended the constraints of the world around her, and a series of gossip-sparking affairs, to become a fiercely beloved icon, and a woman who, when it was all threatened, revealed remarkable inner strength. The story of "The Duchess" recently came back into public fascination with the publication in 1998 of Amanda Foreman’s mesmerizing best-seller "Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire", which won the Whitbread Award for Best Biography and caused popular historian Simon Schama to remark: "Georgiana bursts from the pages of this dazzling biography like the force of nature she undoubtedly was: passionate, political, addicted to gambling and drunk on life: an astonishing book about an astonishing woman." So astonishing was the work that, even before it spent months on the best-seller lists, it seemed destined for the screen. Despite taking place in the volatile age just before democracy began, it was about everything that fascinates us still: love, sex, politics, scandals, wealth, fashion, betrayal and the audacity of an extraordinary woman to rise above it all. And now with the film opening nationally, the book has been released as a film tie-in 'down under' by HarperCollins Australia. Producer Gabrielle Tana ("On the Ropes"), a friend of Amanda Foreman, snapped up the rights to the book immediately upon its publication in 1998. "As soon as I read it, I thought the story was totally fascinating and great material for a film," Tana said. "Georgiana was a true original, very smart and, in a way, a precursor of the modern liberated woman. I was lucky to be in a privileged position to be able to get the rights, because Amanda was a friend, but I think she also liked the vision that I had for the project." That vision involved honing in on the most volatile period in the Duchess’ life, which began with her mismatched yet life-changing marriage to William Cavendish (b. 14th December 1748 d. 29th July 1811), the fifth Duke of Devonshire, on June 6th 1774, when Georgiana was just a naïve teenager: and continued through her shattering banishment after giving birth to her lover’s child and despite her producing an heir, William George Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire (b. 21st May 1790 d. 18th January 1858) known as the "Bachelor Duke". "What’s so appealing about Georgiana is that you realize that people have had the same problems forever," Tana states. "She was a woman looking for love, perhaps in all the wrong places, and she was also a woman who made great sacrifices for her children. So the idea was to tell her story in a modern way that really resonates now." Joining with 1999 BAFTA Michael Balcon Award winner Michael Kuhn ("Stage Beauty" & "Kinsey"), Tana began developing the material further. The screenplay, by Jeffrey Hatcher ("Stage Beauty"), 1999 Academy Award winner Anders Thomas Jenson ("Valgaften") and Saul Dibb, compressed the most dramatic moments from the Duchess's life into a cinematic experience that delves into the delicate balance of power between four people, each in love with someone forbidden to them. "What they have ended up producing is both compelling storytelling and faithful to the book and to Georgiana’s life," says author Foreman, who by the way is the daughter of the late, 1958 Academy Award winning screenwriter ("The Bridge on the River Kwai"), Carl Foreman. Foreman obviously has inherited some of her writing skills from her father, who wrote the screenplays for such classic films as: "High Noon", "The Bridge on the River Kwai" and "The Guns of Navarone". Once on the set, Foreman found her breath taken away by seeing the characters to whom she had grown so close come to life. "When I saw that a whole world had been recreated out of my book, I actually started to cry," she recalled. "I couldn’t believe that a work I had devoted my life to for seven years had been brought to life so beautifully." When it came to choosing a director, the production team settled on Saul Dibb. It wasn’t so much what Dibb had done, as what he envisioned, that caught the producer's attention. "He said all the right things, recalls Tana. "He had the same approach to the film as we did." "I wasn't looking to make a period film, but this felt completely unlike all those British period films that I grew up on," Dibb notes. "It’s more of a complex and dark story about a woman trapped in an arranged marriage. It felt much more emotionally powerful than something that was just a nostalgic view of English life, a trap which I feel a lot of period films fall into." To play Georgiana, the filmmakers knew they would need someone who could naturally project her much talked-about allure, as well as embody the many sides to her personality, both public and private. A name that came up early on was Keira Knightley, whose own ethereal beauty and style is matched by an impressive cinematic pedigree. "Keira embodies quite a lot of the same characteristics as Georgiana. She's incredibly bright, she's beautiful and I think she has a unique insight into this woman who was one of the first celebrities," Dibbs offered. Once Knightley read both the script and Amanda Foreman’s book, she simply could not resist the character of the Duchess. "She’s a wonderfully strong female role, an extraordinary and very alive woman, and I think any actress would relish playing Georgiana," the 2004 Hollywood Film Festival Breakthrough Award winning Knightley said. "She’s a dreamer and an idealist who is suddenly stuck in a marriage with a husband who is the very opposite of that." Knightley, the 2008 dual Rembrandt Award winner ("Atonement" & "POTC: At World's End") pored through the Duchess's preserved letters and analyzed the numerous famous portraits of Georgiana from the period." Dibb was impressed with all the intense research Knightley put into the role, remarking: "Keira was willing to put a lot of herself and her thoughts into trying to understand this woman and trying to embody her whole story." Having read all about Georgiana's unusual marital challenges, namely the relationship between her husband and the woman who was both her best friend and his lover,Knightley knew it was going to be exciting to recreate them on the screen with Ralph Fiennes. "Ralph was just wonderful and the thing we both wanted to do was to make sure no one looked like the villain in this," Knightly explained. "The way we looked at it is that it was a case of two personalities that really didn’t mix. In the beginning neither of them knew if the marriage was going to work, but it soon became clear they were two people who just kept missing one another." From the outset there was only one name that arose for the role of the Duke: 1994 BAFTA ® ("Schindler's List") and 2005 British Independent Film Award ("The Constant Gardener") winner, Ralph Fiennes (pronounced Rafe Fines). For Fiennes, gaining a deeper understanding of the Duke and why he behaved in the way he did was essential. "I read the Amanda Foreman book which is fantastic, but in it the Duke remains enigmatic, so I also read another couple of books and managed to find a bit more about him. It’s very easy to box him in and label him but I think my job playing him was to see him through the values of his own time and play that quite strongly." Fiennes had to work very closely with Knightley, something he greatly enjoyed. "I’m very impressed by her spirit and how present she is and her dedication and her discipline," he said. "She combines her sweet nature as a person with a focus, discipline and a wonderful emotional interior range. She was a pleasure to work with." Early in her marriage to the Duke, Georgiana made a wonderful new friend: Lady Elizabeth Foster, known as Bess, a rare divorcée in those times, with whom the Duchess would become inseparable. The two shared much in common, including their love of life, their independent streak as well as an irresistible beauty. It was director Saul Dibb who thought of rising actress Hayley Atwell (who will next be seen in "Brideshead Revisited") for the role. "Hayley is someone people warm to easily and she’s very attractive but she’s also got a devilish charm," he says. Atwell was excited to take on the role, having been moved by the script. "I loved the story, all the more so because it is true. I think Bess had great love and sensitivity towards Georgiana, but she also could understand the Duke and so she became the mediator between them," Atwell says. "It was this very complicated relationship, and yet it lasted for twenty five years." Atwell was thrilled at the opportunity to work so closely with both Knightley ("Love Actually" & "The Edge Of Love") and Fiennes ("Oscar and Lucinda & "Maid in Manhattan"). "Keira and I were constantly exploding into fits of giggles and at the same time, her work ethic and her focus are extraordinary. She’s a woman of great integrity and she’s a great laugh," Atwell notes. "Ralph was terrifying because he has such remarkable power and stillness and he’s so regal, at times you think, 'are you Ralph or Lord Voldemort?' He has a fierce commitment to this craft and it was a great privilege to work with someone of his incredible ability." Dominic Cooper ("History Boys" & Mamma Mia!") was cast as Charles Grey, the man who would become: Georgiana's lover, Prime Minister of England and who would, in the British Parliament, help to abolish the African slave trade. He became so popular, he would be memorialized with the tea known as Earl Grey. "Georgiana has no idea what love is when she’s forced into marrying the Duke. But with Charles, suddenly everything is explosive, exciting and exhilarating," says Cooper. "Charles would remain a very popular and successful politician, but he never got the girl he loved." Synopsis

Long before the concept existed, the Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Spencer, was the original 'It Girl'. Like her direct descendent Princess Diana, she was ravishing, glamorous and adored by an entire country. Determined to be a player in the wider affairs of the world, she proved that she could out-gamble, out-drink and outwit most of the aristocratic men who surrounded her. She helped usher in sweeping changes to England as a leader of the forward-thinking Whig Party. But even as her power and popularity grew, she was haunted by the fact that the only man in England she seemingly could not seduce was her very own husband, the Duke of Devonshire. And when she tried to find her own way to be true to her heart and loyal to her duty, the resulting controversies and convoluted liaisons with Charles Grey (soon to be Prime Minister) would leave all of London talking.

The Verdict "From "Bend It Like Beckham", to "Love Actually", "Pride & Prejudice", "Atonement" and "The Edge Of Love", Keira Knightley never ceases to amaze. For those who love period pieces, and in this case, one that has mass appeal, her latest film, "The Duchess" is her 'Pièce de résistance'. Her role as Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire, takes us on a remarkable journey in which we see her transformation from a naïve seveteen year old full of vim and vigour through to the tormented wife who produces two girls and an heir for her husband, a son for her lover Charles Grey and in-between suffers two still-births. It is a powerful story, one that at times feels as though it is trying to wrenching your beating heart from you chest. Despite the height of her tragedy, it's a testimony to how spirited Georgiana must have been. Betrayed by her husband who seduces her best friend Bess Foster and then installs her as his mistress; forced to give-up her lover under threat and then maintaining a 'Ménage à trois' for twenty five years for the sake of her children is nearly beyond belief. History records it is indeed true. Ralph Fiennes, who stunned audiences with "In Bruges", produces a fine performance. As none of us ever met the Duke of Devonshire, this is as close as we'll ever get. He's hardly a likeable man, but he was a man of his times. He was powerful, demanding and showed more regard for his hunting dogs than he did for his wife. "The Duchess" is rich in history, settings, character, scandal, a wonderful score and scintillating performances, including those of Dominic Cooper and Hayley Atwell. In the end though, this is Knightley's film. As Lady Diana was to our generation Georgiana was the peoples Duchess of her era. Even when Fiennes, who graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1985 is at his best, all eyes will be on her. Most Highly recommended. 4 1/2 STARS." Crew Bytes "THE DUCHESS" was .......
directed by Saul Dibb ["Bullet Boy"]; set decoration by Rebecca Alleway ["The Heart of Me", "What a Girl Wants" and TV's "Wallis & Edward"]; art direction by Karen Wakefield ["There's Only One Jimmy Grimble", "Shaun of the Dead" and "Babylon A.D."]; costume design by Michael O'Connor ["Look Me in the Eye", "Brick Lane" and "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day"]; production design by Michael Carlin ["The Last King of Scotland", "In Bruges" and TV's "Wallis & Edward" & "Crime and Punishment"]; edited by Masahiro Hirakubo ["Trainspotting", "A Life Less Ordinary" and "Ella Enchanted"]; cinematography by 2004 Silver Camera 300 Award winner Gyula Pados ["Hotel Splendide", "Fateless" and "Evening"]; original music by 1999 Georges Delerue Prize recipient Rachel Portman ["Ratcatcher", "Chocolat" and "The Cider House Rules"]. Who's Who

Keira Knightley Ralph Fiennes Charlotte Rampling Dominic Cooper Hayley Atwell Simon McBurney Aidan McArdle John Shrapnel Alistair Petrie Patrick Godfrey Michael Medwin Justin Edwards Richard McCabe Calvin Dean Hannah Stokely Andrew Armour Emily Jewell Bruce Mackinnon Georgia King Luke Norris Eva Hrela Poppy Wigglesworth Emily Cohen Mercy Fiennes Tiffin Sebastian Applewhite Angus McEwan Kate Burdette Laura Stevely Ben Garlick Max Bennett Camilla Arfwedson

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Georgiana, The Duchess of Devonshire Duke of Devonshire Lady Spencer Charles Grey Bess Foster Charles Fox Richard Brinsley Sheridan General Grey Heaton Dr Neville Speechmaker Macaroni Sir James Hare Devonshire House Servant Devonshire House Maid Burleigh Nanny Sir Peter Teazle Lady Teazle Footman Charlotte (age 3) Charlotte (age 10) Harriet - Countess of Bessborough Little G Augustus Lord Robert Lady Harriet Lady Elizabeth Lord Ambrose Lord Walter Lady Charlotte

Run Time 109 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - Paramount Vantage/Pathe/Working Title - All Rights Reserved ©2008 All Rights Reserved - The Movie Pages - Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.