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I knew I would like this film but I had no idea that I would love it as much as I did. There are many reasons for this. I really loved the story of this one because it was very powerful with a lot of raw emotion and also a lot of amazing qualities within it. It made me feel really quite upset for Georgina because she doesnt deserve anything she gets from her husband and her best friend. I find it an amazing and powerfulstory that is a true story but has a lot of moments in the film that do happen in real life even now. It was a real feel good film because of the beautiful sceneries within it and what beauty can be brought out in this world. There are more reasons why I love this film so much. I love period dramas like this and history films and this is one of my favourite history films.
Keira Knightleys performance is in my opinion the best performance of her career so far because I think she has portrayed the most powerful character yet in her young career. I am starting to love Keira in this period dramas with rich costumes and rich families just like she is in Atonement. I loved her performance in Atonement but loved her performance even more in The Duchess. I think that this performance from Keira can be close to a possible nominee for Best Actress Oscars. She is certainly on my list for that award. Keira is an actress that some people would expect the same from her. I do see the same with her in some films because she looks the same pretty much every time she is in a film but she portrays different characters in her young career. She has only disappointed me once and that was her performance as Domino Harvey in Domino. Please, Keira, bring us some more awesome period dramas. Ralph Fiennes performance is awesome aswell as the Duke Of Devonshire because he brings together once again a powerful character with a hard and cold heart. He is a really strict character in this one because he acts like Henry VIII. He is a character that expects a male heir even though it isnt him nor Georgina to decide, it was just fate. His abusive attitudes with women are really bad. It is bad that he still expects them to do as he says. I find Ralph Fiennes to be good at that as he always has been as a villain. If there was a film involving Henry VIII like The Other Boleyn Girl, I do think he would be amazing for that role. He is like a really controlling psycho. He leads Georgina into a no way out situation which causes problems for other characters within the film too.
I really liked Saul Dibbs direction in this film. It was a lot like the way a director like Joe Wright would direct it especially after he directed Pride And Prejudice and Atonement which previously starred Keira Knightley. Dibb hasnt done any films that are well known until this one. So, it sort of seemed like a start to him and it was an absolutely awesome start. There was a lot of different types of angles used in this film.
It is one of Keira Knightleys best films. I did love her in Atonement, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Bend It Like Beckham and King Arthur. One of Ralph Fiennes best films too but love him more in Schindlers List and Harry Potter. It is an underrated film so far but does have a really good chance at the Oscars 2009.
8/10
