tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post5555352013737342910..comments2024-03-18T08:22:55.193-04:00Comments on The Duchess of Devonshire's Gossip Guide to the 18th Century: Movie Review: The Duchess (Part 2)Heather Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03544318718074061879noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-37099609221523219112009-05-17T14:20:00.000-04:002009-05-17T14:20:00.000-04:00Yes, I agree in the movie that is a very accurate,...Yes, I agree in the movie that is a very accurate, analysis to how they are portrayed!Heather Carrollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03544318718074061879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-22375747249145563362009-04-22T11:55:00.000-04:002009-04-22T11:55:00.000-04:00I just stumbled upon this review through Google an...I just stumbled upon this review through Google and I'm intrigued by Anonymous's question about passing off Gray's baby as the Duke's. To me, Gee's behaviour throughout the movie suggested her romanticism and idealism: she simply would not or could not play the game the way it was supposed to be played - she couldn't be discreet about her affair, she couldn't pass off the child as her husband's. It was almost frustrating to watch her propose her "deal" - she was honest to a fault, lacking Bess's cynicism. I thought Bess came across as much more practical and cynical - she knew, if Gee didn't, that the affair had to be concealed, that there is a way to play the game. Perhaps that's why the Duke was more able to connect with her - everything he did had a purpose and there was a similar practicality to Bess.Beahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15957626443087438904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-79302300289644423152009-04-11T12:47:00.000-04:002009-04-11T12:47:00.000-04:00Hi Elenia!I would definitely read Amanda Foreman's...Hi Elenia!<BR/><BR/>I would definitely read Amanda Foreman's biography which the movie is based off of. You'll just love it, I'm sure! Because the book was so good, the movie had a lot to live up to!Heather Carrollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03544318718074061879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-39229580399039120772009-04-11T09:09:00.000-04:002009-04-11T09:09:00.000-04:00I really like your review. I saw the fim yesterday...I really like your review. I saw the fim yesterday and I thought it was amazing but, of course, very much addaptated to the famous romantic-drama that provides so much millions in THE industry.<BR/><BR/>I'm really looking fowards to reading a good biography about Georgiana. Any tips?<BR/><BR/>Thank you!Eleníahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06514932723855229901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-58322732623357458162008-12-16T17:53:00.000-05:002008-12-16T17:53:00.000-05:00Well, this worked for a lot of women especially Ge...Well, this worked for a lot of women especially Georgiana's friend Lady Melbourne who probably only had one legit child. In fact, unless divorced every child of a married woman's was considered to be her husband's. It was the Georgian solution in the pre-dna test and Maury days. <BR/>At the time though, Georgiana was on her own in Bath sans husband. She must have been staying long enough where she knew that she couldn't trick him into thinking it was his.<BR/><BR/>I also think that since she was very much in love, the idea of sleeping with her husband at this time probably disgusted her. You know how puppy love is! So those are my two theories on the situation. Poor Georgiana, it couldn't just work out for her as it did with other aristocratic ladies!Heather Carrollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03544318718074061879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-63729786887753493332008-12-16T09:23:00.000-05:002008-12-16T09:23:00.000-05:00My girls and I just saw the movie on a school snow...My girls and I just saw the movie on a school snow day. We have a question...Georgiana was smart. In your opinion why didn't she just lie about who fathered Eliza? This is not accepted today, but royalty seemed to all share a thread of immorality long ago anyway. Georgiana could have planned a visit to the duke to cover her bases....I suppose she really wanted to hurt her husband and longed for that "deal" however. What is your opinion? Also, I think the purpose of Bess talking about her husband beating her was to make the audience sympathetic and more accepting of her intrusion into Georgiana's life. A good movie even though a bit choppy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-12194038391765293642008-11-17T19:04:00.000-05:002008-11-17T19:04:00.000-05:00I agree with just about everything you said! And ...I agree with just about everything you said! And of course it's not too late; better late then never. Thanks for sharing!Heather Carrollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03544318718074061879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-35437906160028154962008-11-17T01:45:00.000-05:002008-11-17T01:45:00.000-05:00Okay, I'm reeally late, but I finally saw TD and a...Okay, I'm <I>reeally</I> late, but I finally saw TD and all I can say is: lame! It wasn't as lackluster as Coppola's Marie Antoinette, but there was no emotional depth. The only time anything rang true was the scene where G gave up Eliza. Keira was spot on, and the score was excellent--I nearly cried myself in that scene. <BR/><BR/>Ralph Fiennes was STUPENDOUS as the Duke, but even then, the character was not fleshed out, and based on the "victimization" of Georgiana in this film, I felt angry with her and sympathetic with the duke in the scene where he tries to reach out to her after making her give her daughter away because that could have been a definite turning point in their relationship that would have made them grow up and move on, wiser and more mature. <BR/><BR/>I enjoyed the film for the first half, but then began to feel dissatisfied because there was no point to this story. Just as with MA, the writer/director chose to film a pretty generic period piece featuring a female lead and her domestic entanglements. I was more entertained by Gwendolen of <I>Daniel Deronda</I> (now there's a complex anti-heroine!)--which was a work of fiction. Georgiana had a complex, colorful life that was more than her domestic entanglements, and this movie did not do her justice, nor did it do history and the role of women in history justice at all. A solid C effort. :/Evangeline Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00132593133675388609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-46757357094407356432008-10-16T15:32:00.000-04:002008-10-16T15:32:00.000-04:00Thank you girls!I found myself pleasantly surprise...Thank you girls!<BR/><BR/>I found myself pleasantly surprised with the array of costumes and how fabulous they looked. Luckily that helped deter me from being irked too much by the time frames being off!Heather Carrollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03544318718074061879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-77443849037244578772008-10-15T23:14:00.000-04:002008-10-15T23:14:00.000-04:00What a lovely blog and I loved this movie!What a lovely blog and I loved this movie!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-80821682872162065172008-10-15T21:23:00.000-04:002008-10-15T21:23:00.000-04:00Thanks for the info! I liked the movie a lot, but...Thanks for the info! I liked the movie a lot, but I didn't think it had that much to do with the actual Georgiana. I am curious to read the Amanda Foreman book now. <BR/><BR/>I believe when Georgiana is introduced in Bath as the leader of fashion, that's in 1780. I think that was the last year tall hairstyles were in fashion (though it should have properly have been somewhat wider), and I thought it was interesting they paired it with an elaborate polonaise. I loved how the movie clearly showed the procession of fashion from the mid 1770s to the late 1780s, and there's a nice variety of clothes, unlike certain other costume dramas I've seen lately.suburbanbeatnikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15628494445950673866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-49629214358744153242008-10-14T00:32:00.000-04:002008-10-14T00:32:00.000-04:00Ooo good find! I think the author is right in that...Ooo good find! I think the author is right in that the film made Bess appear more interested in Gee and was only using William to get to her children. In fact, she always avoided the question of whether she loved him or not. I believe the real Bess was using them both for security and did kind of love them both. But I stand by Foreman's statement that Bess' love for Georgiana was much like the love of a crazed fan for a celeb; she wanted to be Georgiana.<BR/><BR/>But I can see where the author is going, maybe the film did sort of imply that Bess was a lesbian, or at least hurt too much by males to really be interested in them. It brings up a very good point that shouldn't be disregarded!Heather Carrollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03544318718074061879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-88421128827337559312008-10-14T00:07:00.000-04:002008-10-14T00:07:00.000-04:00It's been a while since I read Forman's biography,...It's been a while since I read Forman's biography, and I haven't yet seen the movie, but what do you think about this post about the subtext between <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0864761/board/nest/118367575" REL="nofollow">Georgiana and Bess</A>?Evangeline Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00132593133675388609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-33109649469805113072008-10-13T09:53:00.000-04:002008-10-13T09:53:00.000-04:00I haven't seen this movie, but I'm really looking ...I haven't seen this movie, but I'm really looking forward to it. I don't mind reading the reviews before seeing it :) I'm definately looking forward to the costumes, although some of the changes in ages/timeframes bother me. Sometimes I just can't figure out why writers make the changes that they do...as if their history could be better than the real thing, which is rare...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-73440167673471552462008-10-12T09:00:00.000-04:002008-10-12T09:00:00.000-04:00I recall reading that Georgiana and Grey briefly m...I recall reading that Georgiana and Grey briefly met when he was still a school boy...but still, the similarity in age was actually a change that I thought made sense for film. Keira's only 23; were they going to draft a 17-year-old to emphasize the "younger" love interest? And I did like the opening scene...it was very playful and Grey seemed very mischievous instead of brooding, which is how I imagined him( though I suppose he was a bit of a brooder in real life!) <BR/><BR/> If the script writers had included some focus on Georgiana's politics and literary/scientific pursuits, I think the movie would have ended on a happier note. But you're right---just as we were always told about Georgiana's celebrity, we were informed rather than shown the other interests in her life.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-54150844122719462162008-10-12T03:59:00.000-04:002008-10-12T03:59:00.000-04:00I have a weakness for spoilers of any shape or for...I have a weakness for spoilers of any shape or form, so I had to read your reviews despite planning to see the movie next week. However, I do feel a qualm that by seeing this movie, I'm supporting Hollywood's version of women's stories, and that they will continue to churn out historical biopics that don't express the full range of a historical woman's life--merely subverting it beneath the array of sumptuous gowns and dizzying scenes of glamour. :/Evangeline Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00132593133675388609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-52717491940229859602008-10-12T01:34:00.000-04:002008-10-12T01:34:00.000-04:00Oh good, I'm glad you enjoyed them! Yes I noticed...Oh good, I'm glad you enjoyed them! Yes I noticed there was some missing scenes too. After all, 1.5 hours seemed very short, especially for this genre of film. But, like you, I look forward to seeing them when the DVD comes out. I'm especially curious about the giant picnic at Chatsworth which I've seen pictures of.Heather Carrollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03544318718074061879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775910475089264257.post-57360832029731270502008-10-12T01:29:00.000-04:002008-10-12T01:29:00.000-04:00wow i enjoyed reading your reviews!!i agree on so ...wow i enjoyed reading your reviews!!<BR/><BR/>i agree on so many points for example; there were no mentioning of harriet or their brother george, and lady spencer was very cold towards georgiana on most of their scenes. <BR/>i loved how ralph fiennes portrayed the duke.<BR/>i liked the costumes and hair dressings (lack of powder, but very nice!) too, though i still think marie antonette wins by far! on both asspects<BR/><BR/>the kids never aged! how weird is that?!<BR/><BR/>they cut a lot of scenes. there were a few gowns that werent on the movie, and im looking forward on seeing themcotahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16857877210588444974noreply@blogger.com