The Other Spencer Girl -- The Duchess

A sumptuous period costume drama soap opera – and unfortunately, not much else. Keira Knightly plays Georgiana Spencer (yes, those Spencers) the young Duchess of Devonshire who, in late 18th century England, was an A list celebrity. Her great fame and popularity allowed her to influence society, fashion, and perhaps most notably, politics. She also had a tabloid worthy personal life, and that is pretty much the stuff of this film – the choice is regrettable because there isn’t enough sudsy material to fill the screen time. So we get Ralph Fiennes, as the Duke, sulking because his wife gives him daughters, instead of sons, and then he takes mistresses and then there are long scenes where the Duke and Duchess speak coldly to each other across mammoth dining tables while the servants look on. Not the stuff of high drama. Admittedly, there are plenty of strange twists and turns in the nobles’ personal lives, but history would certainly have forgotten them if it weren’t for Georgiana’s influential public role, and the movie seems to have little time for that. Keira Knightly does well with what little she is given to work with; Ralph Fiennes appears to have shown up for a couple of days of filming because the money was good. See it if you love Keira Knightly and authentic period dramas. Otherwise, move on.