Fiennes and Knightley are exceptional in their roles and Dibb proves himself ably in his first big-budget flick.
Comment
09/19/08
The Duchess (2008)
61
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:158
Fresh:96
Rotten:62
Average Rating:6.2/10
Consensus: While The Duchess treads the now-familiar terrain of the corset-ripper, the costumes look great and Keira Knightley's performance is stellar in this subtly feminist, period drama.
Theatrical Release:05-09-2008
Synopsis: After PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and ATONEMENT, Keira Knightley continues her reign as the queen of the period film with this 18th-century costume drama. The corset-clad actress stars as Georgiana... [More]
Starring: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling, Dominic Cooper
Director: Saul Dibb
Reviews for The Duchess
Knightley is up to the task. Her Georgiana is history with a human face.
09/19/08
Things unfold as neatly, and slowly, as a minuet, but there's none of the messiness of life. And that's a shame.
09/19/08
Knightley is a paper doll around whom the movie wraps hoop skirts and 21st century victimology.
09/19/08
Thanks to Fiennes, we come to understand the enigmatic duke as the immovable object deeply perplexed at having to contend with the unstoppable force that is his wife. It is a quietly complex performance almost beyond words.
09/19/08
Top CriticConsiderable talent lifts this wallowing soap opera up to a more powerful and accomplished level.
09/19/08
Human desire hasn't changed much in 300 years, it would seem.
09/19/08
Period drama delves into some heavy themes.
09/19/08
With its seductive period settings, glorious costumes and the stellar pairing of Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes, it is difficult to see how The Duchess could fail to stir significant interest.
09/19/08
The Duchess is an overstuffed, intellectually underbaked portrait of a poor little rich girl.
09/19/08
Top CriticNice try, but the contemporary parallels are just an empty echo.
09/19/08
Knightley's star magic is her ability to express unhappiness as an erotic tonic.
09/18/08
satisfies those seeking not only a gorgeous period piece, but a meaty slice of royal history
09/18/08
It's Knightley who makes The Duchess a royal treat.
09/18/08
Sadly, we see more of [Knightley's] boudoir than her brain, the main downfall of this no-expense-spared lavish period piece.
09/18/08
Knightley's wig gets bigger and bigger as the character grows more unhappy, until finally it catches fire — leading to the potentially immortal line, "Please put out Her Grace's hair."
09/18/08
This riveting, beautifully acted and directed film ranks with the best I've seen this year to date.
09/18/08
The Duchess recalls Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, in that it's about bed-hopping and courtly ritual during a time of revolution.
09/18/08
The picture is a winner, thanks in no small part to Knightley and her accomplished ability to communicate utter despair with only a faint ripple of her porcelain features.
09/18/08
The events on screen are ultimately as slight as Knightley's frame.
09/18/08
Latest News for The Duchess
January 07, 2009:
People's Choice Awards Winners Announced
The 35th annual People's Choice Awards were handed out on January 7, 2009. A complete list of film nominees, with winners in bold, follows below. More...
January 03, 2009:
Not just another royal goddess in a gilded cage costume drama, the film couldn't be more current now, when women bidding for the highest political offices are told to go home and take care of their kids or iron male shirts. Sexual subversion in corsets. 
More...
December 28, 2008:
Not just another royal goddess in a gilded cage costume drama, the film couldn't be more current now, when women bidding for the highest political offices are told to go home and take care of their kids or iron male shirts. Sexual subversion in corsets.
More...
October 12, 2008:
Emarketingmag.com: Not just another royal goddess in a gilded cage costume drama, the film couldn't be more current now, when women bidding for the highest political offices are told to go home and take care of their kids or iron male shirts.
More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds