Roger Michell's posthumous film remains a perfect summary of his cinema, interested in personal stories that reflect a certain British idiosyncrasy. Beautifully performed by Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren, it is a gentle comedy that exposes the naïve nature of the protagonist's pretensions, embracing the sense of community and identity reflected in the unofficial anthem "Jerusalem." A beautiful and humanistic film.
What a Charming Film The Duke was
Very pleasant comedy, well written and well acted. Nothing transcendental or must-see, but a good and honest product overall.
The movie is enjoyable enough, largely thanks to the performance of Broadbent who delivers a deceptively charming performance.
Like a birthday party magician, this was entertaining but without any real magic.
A heist movie based on real events, The Duke is a comfort movie for those whose horizons don't need broadening.
Most of the comments are spot on, even the one that says it dragged a bit and turned it off after 35 minutes. But they missed a little bit of a charmer with a twist at the end. Helen Mirren is wonderful as always. The best scenes are towards the end as the whole story unfolds.
Not one you'll want to watch over and over, but charming and feel good overall.
I actually gave this movie more than 35 minutes before switching off. It just plods along never really going anywhere. Some funny moments but not enough to keep me interested.
Review by r96skBlockedParent2022-04-06T15:14:49Z
Nice to finally watch 'The Duke' at the cinema, given it had been delayed from September 2020 and I didn't get around to it during its February 2022 release - managed to catch one of the last few showings this afternoon.
I don't usually check out trailers but I did unintentionally see one for this before a different film and it did look good - and I, now that I've seen it, can confirm that to be the case. It's very British, North Eastern English to be exact, with Jim Broadbent sporting an amusing Geordie accent - I'm a Southerner, but it sounded spot on to me.
Broadbent is a great choice to play the main character, bringing all the necessary qualities to a role like Kempton Bunton. Helen Mirren is also involved to pleasant and noteworthy effect. Matthew Goode has a smaller role too.
It is quite the true story that this film is based upon, one that is told in a fun but also meaningful manner - sometimes it is a bit too sweet for my liking, though for the vast majority it's neatly heartfelt. Cool to see the 'Dr. No' connection in there, also.
A charmer. No doubt worth a watch if you get the chance.