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Home Subscribe About Us Features News Album Reviews Movie Reviews Past Movies Movie Resources Concert Reviews Book Reviews Top 10 Contact Us	The Duchess Stars: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Hayley Atwell, Charlotte Rampling and Dominic Cooper Director: Saul Dibb Scriptwriters: Saul Dibb, Anders Thomas Jensen and Jeffrey Hatcher (based on â€œGeorgiana, Duchess of Devonshireâ€? by Amanda Foreman) Cinematography: Gyula Pados Costumes: Michael O'Connor Composer: Rachel Portman Paramount Vantage Running Length:111 minutes Rating: PG 13 for sexual content, some nudity and theme material Definitely another look at what constitutes a marriage, The Duchess gives us the personage of Lady Georgiana Spencer, a distant relative of the late Princess Diana (Spencer). Georgiana lived an aristocratic life 200 years ago when marriages were planned, affairs were common and sometimes not in secret, and keeping up appearances and manners were everything. Sound familiar, such as in nothing has changed in 200 years? The script is adapted from the book by Amanda Foreman and stars Kiera Knightley as Georgiana with Ralph Fiennes as the man she married, the Duke of Devonshire. Cinematography is wonderfully done, and the costumes (such as in one of Knightley's last films, "Atonement") magnificent. Rachel Portman's music score highlights the film and one can sense Oscar nominations just around the corner for set design, costumes and music. The story begins when Georgiana is seventeen and ready for marriage, according to her mother, played by Charlotte Rampling. The husband is the Duke of Devonshire, definitely a prosperous marriage and only one thing expected of Georgiana, to give the Duke a male heir. This proves to be more difficult than imagined and the Duke begins to stray, while Georgiana has eyes for a former friend, a young politician in England, played by Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia!) The Duke doesn't spare money in dressing Georgiana and with her wit, she is the belle of the ball wherever she goes. The Duke's idea of making love borders on crude and, of course, there is no question of a divorce or separation. He seems to prefer his hunting dogs to people. It is when the Duke invites a "house guest" who remains for years, that there is a problem. The guest is Lady Bess Foster (Hayley Atwell) who is politely escaping from a cruel marriage and then sleeps with the Duke. To add more shame to Georgiana's soap opera life, the Duke takes in his out-of-wedlock daughter, for Georgiana to "mother." In the meantime, Georgiana decides to have a romance, herself, and centers on Dominic. Oh, but when things begin to come to light, everything is done to save face, which isn't always kind to Georgiana. Though Kiera Knightley wears beautiful gowns and flits about the countryside, it is Ralph Fiennes' stoic and cruel Duke of Devonshire that walks away with this film. Such a man would soon be paying alimony in our time, plus being in prison, no doubt, but 200 years ago, his behavior was accepted behavior. Hayley Atwell, as the house guest who stays and stays, walks a fine line here and does it well. She has to be kind to the Duke, since he could send her back to a disastrous marriage, but she has sympathy for the blight of Georgiana, also. Charlotte Rampling as Georgiana's mother, shows what women faced at that time, a wealthy marriage or nothing. With no money of their own, except in rare occasions, women had to depend on a man with money to survive. Keeping themselves beautiful was a full time occupation. Also, in this reality, it was difficult to find someone to trust. Even in a cocoon of wealth and envy by others, loneliness creeps in like an unwanted guest. Copyright 2008 Marie Asner