The Duke

"I'd just finished reading Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness and I felt a need to explore Sunderland."

The Duke joins the long line of cosy British comedies, the sort of film that everyone over fifty will utterly love. 

In 1961 Sixty-year-old Kempton Bunton (Jim Broadbent) regularly campaigns to support veterans and pensioners, including campaigning for TV licenses to be free to OAPS, much to the embarrassment of his wife Dorothy (Helen Mirren). When Bunton spots an opportunity to steal the Duke of Wellington by Goya from the National Gallery the police are convinced it's been stolen by an organised gang. Kempton then attempts to ransom the painting in order to receive money to support his causes. 

This is a really gentle, feel-good film with some fun moments in it. The film is elevated by it's lead performances with Helen Mirren superb as ever and Jim Broadbent, surely a man who should be known as a national treasure, is fantastic, making Kempton a really likeable character whilst still highlighting his flaws. Broadbent does get to say the words "the greater good" once again and I was disappointed no-one repeats them.

Though the film is cosy it has more depth to it than most films of this type. There's quite a lot of politics in there with Kempton campaigning for many things which are still issues today. There's also a theme of grief running through the film with the Bunton's daughter having died aged eighteen in a cycling accident. Kempton blames himself and the campaigns are partly a reaction to this whilst Dorothy never talks about it at all. This is well-balanced in the overall tone of the film but this depth make it a more substantial film than others of it's ilk.

Sadly director Roger Michell never got to see the film be released outside of festivals. It was delayed for well over a year due to Covid and the director died in September last year. He most well known film is Notting Hill but The Duke really highlights his talents as a director with many clever shots which you wouldn't necessarily expect from this type of film. 

A really lovely film with more depth than you might expect and elevated by the late director and it's two excellent stars.