Welcome all, to the Goodenberger family movie blog. This blog will have a mix of new release reviews, usually one every weekend, and I'll also toss in a few classic movie reviews from our Blockbuster queue (that's right Blockbuster, not Netflix; take that Netflix!) just for good measure.
First up, a review of the film The Duchess starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes. Now I read movie reviews from lots of different places, the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, CNN, and none of them had much good to say about this film. Really the only reason we went to see it was because Kinsey loves period films with big, poufy dresses. And when it was over, and we were weaving through the crowds of senior citizens at the Uptown Theatre, I found myself pleasantly surprised. It's not nearly as dull as you'd think it'd be. The film makes some different choices than your typical old-timey dress-up picture. I'd get into those choices but I feel like I'd give a lot away.
Keira Knightley does a decent job but gets blown away anytime she shares the screen with Ralph Fiennes. You can't blame her; she's just not as good of an actor as he is. She could definitely take some cues from him, like the importance of subtlety or just being still for a couple of seconds. Everything with Keira Knightley is so pronounced, whereas Ralph Fiennes can move a scene along with a simple grunt.
Overall, it was an enjoyable movie experience. It would be nice to see someone else get these period roles other than Keira Knightley. I bet Kate Winslet would've knocked this one out of the park.
Wade: 3 stars
McKinsey: 3 1/2 stars
