The comical true story, The Duke is now playing in local theaters and it’s very amusing and genius. Much like some of the classic biographies that have come forward over the years, this one is little known to Americans, but a gem to the British. With typically compelling performances by greats Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren, the movie gets contagious and quite astonishing. However, I really don’t think that if the event that’s portrayed in the film happened this way in America, that it would have had the same outcome.
Its 1961 London and taxi driver Kempton Bunton (Jim Broadbent) has recently lost his job having shorted his boss on a fare. Not a good thing for the elderly gent, especially since his only other income is from his wife Dorothy’s (Helen Mirren) small paying job as a house maid to a rich woman. Covering up his loss from Dorothy, he takes side jobs. But Kempton keeps losing them due to his constant support of local causes, like Free TV for the lower classes, that doesn’t bode well with his bosses.
Now without a job and desperate something catches his eye. The National Gallery of London has just acquired a painting of Field Marshall and 1st Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, by famous artist Francisco Goya. The wheels start spinning in Kempton’s brain and what happens next is a compellation of “actual” events that puts him on a quest that gets very dicey leading up to his day in court.
Even though the story sounds a bit simple, director Roger Michell, who brought 1999’s Notting Hill and 2017’s My Cousin Rachel to the big screen, makes his film very entertaining and a joy to watch. Bringing the early 1960’s London alive, casting the perfect actors as the Bunton’s, and making the story intriguing with a couple of twists to boot, had me wanting more. And, Michell delivers right up to nicely touching finale.
Jim Broadbent is magnificent in his role of the insistant advocate that aims his remarks at the local government. As the hapless Kempton Bunton, he keeps the film funny, a bit crazy and even adds some much needed drama to the role. His more recognizable roles in his 167 credits include winning an Oscar for a supporting role co-starring with Judy Dench as John Bayley in Iris. Young fans may also know him as Mr. Gruber in the British family film Paddington.
The Duke has been rated R by the MPAA for language and brief sexuality. The film is now playing in local theaters. For those adults up in age and enjoy the acting of Broadbent and Mirren, this little film is the perfect cup of tea and 5 biscuits with jam.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren, Heather Craney, Matthew Goode, Fionn Whitehead
Directed By: Roger Michell
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: R for language and brief sexuality
Running Time: 1 hr. 35 min.
Opening Date: May 6, 2022
Distributed by: Sony Classics
Released in: Theaters
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
