The Duke (2020) User Reviews

A Wonderfully Charming Film

[ethanbresnett · 8/10 · 17 February 2022]

I really wasn't expecting to enjoy 'The Duke' as much as I did, but found myself enthralled and charmed by the lighthearted screenplay that also carries a heartwarming message.

The performances from Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren (occasionally dodgy accents aside) are great. Broadbent in particular shines in his role as the lovable rogue Kempton Bunton.

The story is very enjoyable. Lots of effective comedy, some strong messages around social justice that feel very pertinent today, and a central conceit that you won't believe is based on real events!

At only 90 minutes long, the film has a great pace to it, keeping things moving and not getting bogged down in any unnecessary detail. There's nothing particularly flashy in the film making, but it is all very effective.

A brilliant British film and much better than I would have thought.

A warm and witty comedy drama based on a true story

[trevorwomble · 8/10 · 6 March 2022]

I must admit I went into this film not expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun it was. I'm sure many non-UK viewers will probably only recognize Helen Mirren's name out of the cast but to me Jim Broadbent, a superb actor who mysteriously never really became an international star, (despite having won an Oscar) totally steals it with a charming excellent central performance and a twinkle in his eye.

The whole cast to be fair are excellent all round and the script has lots of witty humour, some of which is particularly British and may be lost on foreign audiences (such as the joke he tells in court which plays on the Newcastle/Sunderland rivalry). Both Broadbent and Mirren pull off very credible North East accents and the films relatively low budget gives the film an 'intimate' feel that, as another reviewer pointed out, makes this film feel a little like an Ealing black comedy.

The film does have some occasional fruity language and a sex scene so it may not be entirely suitable for children or prudish viewers but if that doesn't bother you and you like the kind of big hearted, low key British crime capers with a twist in the tale from yesteryear such as 'The Lavender Hill Mob' or 'Kind Hearts and Coronets' then you may well enjoy this tale.

One of those great low budget British movies

[coombsstephen · 7/10 · 5 March 2022]

I did not realise this was based on a true story till the end but that just made the film even more special. Its just a simple story about a simple man that is just so quintessentially British.

The acting is spot on and there are a few great twists and turns to enjoy.

Well worth the watch for anyone to enjoy.

Enjoyable, funny and a little bit heartwarming

[sbweightman · 7/10 · 16 February 2022]

A good story which is told well and has some great acting performances. It wasn't as funny as I was expecting with a fair bit of focus on a tragedy and everyday life, but it was still pretty humorous and enjoyable throughout. The setting and style felt authentic and the seamless use of stock footage complemented this.

It's Good!

[vengeance20 · 7/10 · 26 February 2022]

Seen this advertised a couple of times & thought it looked good!

The film sees Kempton Bunton who steals Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington & bribes the government into funding homes for the elderly.

I found the film to be good. The story is good & the films pacing & runtime are not bad at 1 hour & 31 minutes.

Overall, it's an alright film, with an alright story.

7/10.

Would It Do For The Duke?

[boblipton · 6/10 · 30 April 2022]

Based on actual events, this movie has Jim Broadbent as Kempton Bunton, the man who stole Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery; Helen Mirren as his wife; and Matthew Goode as the lawyer who had to defend Bunton at trial, after he had made a full confession.

I found the first part of this movie a tad onerous, as Broadbent's exploration of Bunton reveals him as shrill, dishonest, and smug, even if his heart is in the right place, and Miss Mirren, looking dowdy and disapproving -- how did they ever get together in the first place? -- keeps reading him the Riot Act. It is only when Broadbent returns the Goya to the National Gallery and fully confesses that the movie shows a breath of life with the appearance of Goode as his rightfully bemused and mildly amused counsel. It is then that the movie opens up, becomes increasingly absurd, and permits Broadbent to show how charming he can be, blathering away on the big screen.

Not really a heist, more a host

[tim-935 · 8/10 · 12 February 2022]

In 1961 the nation bought Goya's painting of the Duke of Wellington for £140,000, that's just over three million in today's money. Benwell (Newcastle upon Tyne) retired and disabled bus driver, Kempton Bunton, a crotchety anti-telly tax campaigner, had plenty to say on the subject.

In the fullness of time, the painting found its way into a false compartment in the spare bedroom wardrobe. The master plan was to raise money to pay for telly licences for pensioners and war veterans.

This well natured romp, replete with 1960's tropes, is well acted by Jim Broadbent in the main role, with nagging wife, Dorothy, played by Helen Mirren. Their canny son, Jackie, portrayed by Fionn Whitehead, propels the narrative with his cheeky chappy persona.

The film culminates in a court case where Bunton is brought up on charges of theft, and depriving the public of the painting for the four years he hid it in the bedroom. Facing an almost certain ten year prison sentence the outlook is gloomy. Even his clever barrister doesn't have many legal legs to stand on.

Bunton argues that he was merely borrowing the painting for the good of others.

The outcome is a surprise, with a clever twist right at the end. This is a jolly film with humour and a layer of pathos.

None of the exteriors were shot in Newcastle, and as a resident of that city, the Leeds and Bradford locations look out of place, even with the special effects department inserting the Tyne Bridge, Grey's Monument, Stella Power Station, and Scotswood Bridge in the backgrounds. Look out for a gable end advert for Beechams Pills with a spelling mistake!

I am you and you are me.

[nogodnomasters · 7/10 · 25 July 2021]

Kempton Bunton (Jim Broadbent) drives a taxi while his wife (Helen Mirren) cleans a rich person's house. Kempton is a bit of a rebel and an activist. When the Goya painting of the Duke of Wellington shows up at his house, he demands a ransom to be used to help the elderly and veterans pay TV license. The film opens with a teaser at his trial and then gives us a 6 month flashback.

This is based on a true story. I wonder who really cleaned the toilet spotless before we saw Helen Mirren pretend brush one around. The film was filled with light humor making it an easy watch.

Guide: F-word. Sex. No nudity.

Art heist comedy charms and cheers

[brockfal · 8/10 · 3 March 2022]

A tonic for these sombre times, this sweet natured light and easy comedy tells the tale of how in 1961 an eccentric man from Newcastle stole a valuable Goya portrait from London's national gallery. It's a wonderfully old fashioned film which echoes well the flavour humour and style of the Ealing comedies, mixing split screen archive film with superbly grimy re-creations of old Newcastle and London, and just a little bit if social comment too. Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren revel in it all, as do rest of the cast, and the whole things cruises along and raises a many a smile - a tonic indeed. It's also a true story. Highly recommended.

Intriguing

[Gordon-11 · 7 August 2021]

This is an intriguing and engaging story of an old man who did an impossible heist. It is a pleasure to watch, especially given the talents involved.

Good Enough

[PennyReviews · 6/10 · 17 November 2021]

The Duke is a pretty witty movie with interesting characters and a smooth progress, especially when one considers that it is based on a true story, which usually end up boring and too close to a documentary. The performances were also pretty great and the twist in the end brilliant.

Feel-Good Film

[fandomfatale · 8/10 · 23 July 2021]

This movie put a smile on my face. It was nice to watch something so uplifting and entertaining. Great cast and good characters. I gave it an 8 because the court scenes were so great, the rest of the film is probably a 6.5/7.

Haway the lad

[malcolmgsw · 7/10 · 1 March 2022]

Very reminiscent of an Ealing comedy with great performances allrond. Whilst there are shortcomings in the early part of the film,this is made up by the court scenes.

There are some great scenes of London in the sixties and use of the split screen which was all the rage at the time.

Drab

[johnpggboyd · 5/10 · 15 April 2022]

Sorry this film is no fun. Drab and dull. Any woman married to this guy would lose it. Not enough jokes. Could have been a good movie played more lighthearted. Pity not a bad story.

Delightful

[CtlAltDel · 7/10 · 4 May 2022]

One of those quiet films the British do so well. Well cast and acted. Broadbent does his usual turn as a gently bumbling Englishman. I've never seen him in a role that's any different. Mirren is wonderfully grumpy. No great drama but a study of real humans. Based on a true story with some liberty taken with the facts. The trial is a particularly good with much of the dialogue taken from the actual case itself.

You will Struggle to Leave without Feeling Happier than when you Went In

[emryse · 7/10 · 19 March 2022]

My mum thought that this film looked entertaining and I'm willing to watch pretty much anything so while I didn't go in with high expectations I was still expecting a passable film and while this wasn't a masterpiece I was pleasantly surprised.

The cast is endearing, starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren, both of whom are turning the old person charm up to the max, if you can go away not loving both of them I applaud you. In fact upon leaving the cinema I felt thoroughly uplifted. The story is somewhat predictable but with a few twists it manages to keep you engaged throughout, the script is funny. I didn't laugh loads but the audience I was with were frequently breaking into peels of laughter and coupled with creative editing choices and a pretty decent soundtrack there really wasn't much to complain about. I can imagine it not being everyone's cup of tea but it is charming and leaves you feeling good so what more can you ask? 7/10.

Amiable final feature for Roger Michell

[gortx · 11 May 2022]

The robbery of Goya's masterpiece The Duke Of Wellington from the National Gallery in London has long been a point of fascination in art theft circles. The crime made it's perpetrator, Kempton Bunton (Jim Broadbent), a public figure for a brief time.

Roger Michell's final feature film THE DUKE sports a genial tone as the script by Richard Bean and Clive Coleman lays out the backstory. Bunton is portrayed as fiercely anti-establishment who advocates for the elimination of Britain's tax on TV sets for the elderly and other assorted causes. There's a fine line between and agitator and a layabout living on the dole - especially to his wife, Dorothy (an uncommonly dowdy but adept Helen Mirren).

UK filmmakers seem particularly adept at these understated stories, and Michell and his cast seem keen on keeping to that tone. Michell uses old fashioned stock footage montages to punctuate Bunton's visits to London. George Fenton's gentle score and Mike Eley's moody cinematography add to the overall feel of a throwback of sorts.

It's in the final scenes in the courtroom where THE DUKE takes it up a rung or two. Broadbent, who is excellent throughout, commands the dais with a spiked wit. Michell always was at his best in portraying the common man in pictures like PERSUASION, MY COUSIN RACHEL and even in a more broad manner in NOTTING HILL. Some of Bunton's rhetoric may broach Ken Loach or Mike Leigh territory, but Michell and his writers maintain a gentle touch throughout, while still making its points.

The film's final image is of a couple sitting in a movie theater. A beautiful way for Roger Michell's career to fade out with. R. I. P.

P. S. Michell completed a final documentary which is scheduled to be released this year. He passed in September.

Enjoyable warm film

[sjo-15 · 7/10 · 27 February 2022]

Lovely heartwarming movie.

Broadbent is brilliant as ever.

Supporting cast are great.

Lovely story that I was not aware of before.

Done funny moments.

Well paced.

The court room scene was a little out of character for me, but overall I enjoyed it.

Gentle British Comedy Drama at its Best!

[pelops1 · 8/10 · 12 February 2022]

I admit, I am a huge fan of Jim Broadbent. I've always enjoyed everything I've seen him. Almost always, he portrays someone slightly eccentric, which I suppose I relate to.

The Duke, is once again, a gentle British comedy, of which he excels in. Dame Helen Mirren as his long suffering partner gives a well deserved performance but to me, Jim Broadbent steals the show.

If your lucky enough to have lived in the 1960s, or even interested in the period, you will love this slow, gentle comedy, as I did.

I only hope that Jim Broadbent is awarded the critical acclaim for which he is long overdue in receiving. He is an absolute icon of British Cinema and and a National Treasure.

This is an absolute Gem!!!

Goya pays the television fees

[dromasca · 7/10 · 23 December 2023]

'The Duke' (2020) is one of those films whose fate was influenced by the pandemic. Filming was finished before the isolation periods and the film managed to premiere at the Venice Film Festival, which that year took place in a 'restricted format'. It was to be released on screens, but screenings were postponed several times due to the periods of isolation imposed by the pandemic. When it was finally released in theaters in February 2022, director Roger Michell had died. It was his last feature film, not counting a documentary about Elizabeth II, also released posthumously, in 2022, the jubilee year and the year of the queen's death. 'The Duke' is therefore a kind of final chapter, a suitable film for a director who specialized in 'good feeling' films, even when he made dramas or documentaries.

'The Duke' is based on a true story and brings to screen - quite faithfully - a character who existed and lived his moment of fame in the early 60s. It could only happen in Britain. Kempton Bunton was a war veteran who fought for all kinds of good causes and who was always fired from various jobs because of his attitudes and loose mouth. One of the causes was the exemption from paying the television tax for those who were not interested in the programs of the government-related BBC station. The hero in the film is ready to go to jail just to avoid paying the tax. When he sees (on television but on an independent station program!) that the government is paying 140 thousand pounds to keep in England the portrait of the Duke of Wellington painted by Goya, he calculates how many television subscriptions could be paid for with this money and decides. .. to steal the painting from the National Gallery. The painting lands at his home where he has to hide it in the closet with the help of his son, to keep it away from the eyes of his wife, a patient woman who has almost reached the end of her patience due to her husband's adventures. His request for ransom is not answered, and after a while he decides to return the portrait to the museum. He is arrested and the trial becomes exactly the opportunity he had been seeking until then without success to plead his case publicly.

So we are dealing in 'The Duke' with a combination of social comedy, art heist movie and court film. The film gets off slowly and it takes a while for us to connect with the character, but once we're in the orbit of sympathy for Kempton Bunton we can't get out. Jim Broadbent even manages to overshadow Helen Mirren, which is a remarkable achievement. I don't think we should be too surprised when we take into account the fact that both actors have an Oscar statuette on their shelves and that Broadbent has delighted us in just about every role he has played on screen. It is said that Michell did not want anyone else in the role and was ready to abandon the project if the participation of the desired actor could not be secured. Fortunately for us, they succeeded. In the real world, following this case, the British Criminal Code was changed to prevent others from following Bunton's example and borrowing works of art from museums for good causes. Television taxes were only repealed decades later. And after a few more decades this film was made, a film that I recommend to all fans of good comedies with heroes who do anything for the causes they believe in.

True Crime Comedy

[Pairic · 8/10 · 28 February 2022]

The Duke: A true crime film. Jim Broadbent plays 60 year old Kempton Bunton who in 1961 stole Goya's Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery, Helen Mirren is his wife, Dorothy. Mirren has to put with a lot, Bunton finds it hard to keep a job, is an aspiring playwright and campaigns for free tv licenses for OAPs and war veterans. His high jinks gets him into constant trouble with the authorities. Some great comical scenes but the best are the courtroom antics. An enjoyable comedy drama with impressive performances by Broadbent and Mirren alongside a strong supporting cast. A few interesting plot twists. Directed by Roger Michell from a screenplay by Richard Bean and Clive Coleman. 8/10.

Great cast. Jim Broadbent is brilliant in this wholesome story

[retro_tiger · 7/10 · 26 February 2022]

Loved the cast Jim Broadbent is brilliant, witty and hilarious. A great fit for this character Wholesome & heart warming story Insight in 1960, tv license campaigns for oaps and the stealing of the painting Little hard to understand at times with the Newcastle accents but you get used to it Always a fan of Dame Helen Mirren.

A well acted movie

[JoeyCeee · 8/10 · 31 July 2021]

Not a lot of glitz, great cast, likeable characters, simple plot and very little special effects, a real throw back.

Entertaining and great cast

[tm-sheehan · 7/10 · 7 March 2022]

My Review- The Duke My Rating 7:10

" The Duke " based on a true story starring Jim Broadbent as Kempton Cannon Bunton a disabled British pensioner who stole Francisco Goya's painting Portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London in 1961.

The film also stars Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren, Fionn Whitehead, Anna Maxwell Martin and Matthew Goode.

Release of the film was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic . Sadly director Roger Michell passed away in September 2021, five months before this film was finally theatrically released in February 2022. It was his final film.

Roger Michell directed famous movies like Notting Hill. Venus, Tea With the Dames and Hyde Park on Hudson to name a few.

The Duke is an enjoyable film teaming two great British Actors . Jim Broadbent is always good playing eccentric English characters like Kempton Bunton and Dame Helen Mirren is barely recognisable as Dorothy Bunton his mousey but very vocal wife and plays this role so well.

The Producers and Director have gone to great lengths to authenticate the era using authentic TV footage from the era . Actual news reporting of the theft is used some of it from the BBC archives .

It also uses some colour footage taken from Pathe newsreels to depict London in the early 1960s.

In a rare coup permission was given to use a clip from a James Bond film to add authenticity to an era in another movie.

Dame Helen Mirren and director Roger Michell personally asked the Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson for permission to use the Scene from Dr No (1962) which features the actual painting of The Duke of Wellington promising that the scene would be used in context and fortunately they had no objections.

Although the theft of the Goya and the trial were headline news, the actual details of the deal the Police made with the actual culprit did not emerge until 2011.

It's an enjoyable and entertaining movie .

False impression

[PipAndSqueak · 4/10 · 27 February 2022]

The more I think about this film the less I rate it. If you bother to watch it, your heart string might be twanged a couple of times but, other than that, it will leave you cold. Or, as happened in the cinema I attended, a group of very disgruntled people (at least a dozen) will leave, noisily, half way through. There is just a scintilla of truth to the story, i.e. Goya's portrait was taken from the gallery & Kempton Bunton was associated with the story. Everything else. Rubbish. For your information, if you are not old enough to know, streets in England were very very clean in the 1960's, there were even spittoons as it was illegal to spit on the pavement. Metal dustbins contained ashes (from coal fires) were collected by very efficient and cleanliness aware dustmen from the back alleys of the terraced houses. The fronts of the houses were kept very neat and clean, women scrubbing and polishing their front step was a common sight. Paper was valued as a it had multiple uses. Rags were collected by rag and bone men for the purpose of making brown paper (also much valued). Foods - ie fruit and veg were not wrapped. Take out food was fish and chips in yesterday's newspaper. There is much more that is misrepresented in this presentation. I cant be bothered telling you any more.