Cinema Scholars reviews Roger Michell’s latest feel-good heist movie, The Duke, starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren. Sony Pictures Classics will release The Duke in New York and Los Angeles theaters on April 22, 2022. The film will expand to theaters nationwide in the weeks to follow.
Introduction
Contrary to what is suggested during a gag in Dr. No (1962), the titular Bond villain was not responsible for London’s infamous 1961 theft of Francisco de Goya’s painting The Duke Of Wellington. Nor was it stolen by a cunning balaclava-clad art-napper.
In fact, The National Gallery’s first-ever burglary was perpetrated by an aging cab driver named Kempton Bunton. Bunton officially took the fall for the high-profile heist. However, future revelations about some of his motives provide a more in-depth take on the notorious mishap in Roger Michell’s The Duke.
Synopsis
It is made very clear from the onset of The Duke that Kempton Bunton (Jim Broadbent) is a consummate rabble-rouser. In protest of the BBC’s yearly licensing fee required to watch their broadcasts, Bunton rigged his television to transmit free channels only. And when upper management at work discriminated against his immigrant co-worker, Bunton took the heat, as well as a pink slip, for defending him.
These are only two examples in The Duke of an unassuming man bucking the system. Yet it seems that his brand of anarchy has definitely been a way of life. As Bunton continues to invite the ire of the establishment, he gains support from other low-profile provocateurs like himself as well as those he has helped.
Bunton’s personal causes may not be exactly earth-shattering. Nonetheless, his abiding defense of right vs wrong does not go unnoticed by those around him. Especially by his begrudgingly devoted wife, Dorothy. Her husband’s actions are mostly honorable, yet Dorothy has grown to find his antics insufferable. Needless to say, when the Duke Of Wellington fiasco unfolds with an attempted ransom to help the elderly, Bunton must contend with Dorothy’s dismay and his family’s pain in addition to a national scandal.
Analysis
The Duke is a film that fits firmly in the unofficial “stranger than fiction” category. While Bunton’s escapade is legendary in the UK, international audiences may not be as familiar with the notorious event. The low-key freedom fighter gained popularity and support with fellow rebels from the stunt, however, it was his more homespun causes (like free BBC for the elderly) that ultimately made the biggest impact on life for most Brits.
Michell weaves together discoveries about Bunton’s personal life in addition to the heist to paint a different and more well-rounded portrait of the Duke Of Wellington debacle. The director clings to the absurdity of the tale as well as Bunton’s disobedient values, which seemed more scandalous in 1960s England than by today’s standards.
However, along with screenwriters Richard Bean and Clive Coleman, Michell also manages to fill in the emotional blanks surrounding the incident. This addition of intimate details about Bunton and his family helps to create a delightful, and sometimes heartbreaking, narrative about love and loyalty amid epic misadventure.
Eye-catching transitions featuring (what appears to be) stock footage from early-60s London help reinforce the time stamp on the period piece. And a cheerful score by George Fenton keeps the overall feel of The Duke light. Even as Bunton is subjected to examination in court and tragic past events come to light, the curious and comical musical cues keep the film from tripping into any serious heaviness.
Performances
Broadbent seems perfectly suited for this particular character. Scheming without being underhanded, the Academy Award-winning actor nails Bunton’s subtle irreverence and prevailing good nature. Cursed with an unfailing moral compass (even when it doesn’t serve his best self-interests) Broadbent’s endearing take on the character makes it understandable when supporters fill the courtroom during his trial.
Perhaps the biggest misstep in The Duke is casting the great Helen Mirren in a role where she doesn’t get to do much more than sulk. While the Oscar winner’s version of a curmudgeon is brilliant in all of its uncomfortable annoyance, Mirren is only given the opportunity to shine toward the end of the film. Perhaps her character’s slow burn is intentional, but alas, it seems a shame to waste such incredible skill on a scant role. The blessing and curse of being massively talented, it would seem.
Conclusion
Overall, The Duke is a heartwarming story about a do-gooder who gets in way over his head. The curious feel of the film prevails even when the subject matter turns quite serious. Rather than a retread of the well-known details, The Duke ends up being more of an uplifting character study. With all the current treachery in the world, nearly everyone could use a little feel-good entertainment in their lives. And nothing quite hits the pick-me-up sweet spot better than a story about sticking it to the man.
Sony Pictures Classics will release The Duke in New York and Los Angeles theaters on April 22, 2022. The film will expand to theaters nationwide in the weeks to follow.
