It is an elegantly told tale of life after grief with hints of true Geordie self-deprecating humour.
It becomes apparent early on that Kempton and his wife Dorothy (Helen Mirren) have strayed down different paths in coping with the young loss of their daughter. Ironically, Kempton seems to lose a sense of family in his mission to amend the guilt he feels as he blames himself for his daughter’s death. The importance of money, reputation and routine are meaningless to him if he cannot see the world as a good place. It is an elegantly told tale of life after grief with hints of true Geordie self-deprecating humour.
Furthermore, this is truly a film of opposition, between public and private; North and South; reputation and principle; rich and poor; right and wrong. What is especially interesting about the oppositions in this film is that Mitchell does not tell us which one we should think is better. The audience can support Kempton but also see him making poor decisions. In the same way we can see why Dorothy acts the way she does but equally condemn her for her denial.
The pace of the film is near perfectly kept with brilliantly earnest performances from Broadbent and Mirren as well as incredibly enjoyable appearances from Jeremy Hutchinson, Sian Unsworth and Anna Maxwell Martin.
This is truly a film of opposition, between public and private; North and South; reputation and principle; rich and poor; right and wrong.
I got the sense that watching this film in a cinema in the centre of Newcastle was the best possible way to enjoy it. Small glimpses of Tyne Bridge and Grey’s Monument did not go unnoticed in this ode to 60s Newcastle and Northern Eastern working-class lifestyle. However, next time you’re endlessly scrolling through Netflix and fancy a thoughtful and touching but genuinely funny film look no further than The Duke.
4/5