Heavy breathing in high places: Dominic Cooper plays a young politician who strikes the fancy of Keira Knightley as the Duchess of Devonshire in "The Duchess." (Photo provided by Paramount Vantage)

Actress' performance in title role of costume drama shows spunk

Keira Knightley, despite a sensibility that exudes modernity, is quickly becoming the doyenne of the period costume drama. She thrilled as headstrong females in "Atonement" and "Pride & Prejudice," women who resent the constraints placed upon them by proper society, and who respond with sharp elbows.

She's at it again in "The Duchess." But the twist here is that rather than playing a heroic figure who snaps the chains that bind her, Knightley portrays a woman who's ground down by societal mores, who bargains and compromises and succumbs.

There's been much whispering that the biography of Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, bears more than a passing resemblance to the life of Princess Diana (who was actually a descendant of Georgiana). And the tragic parallels are hard to miss: Georgiana ties the knot at a young age to a much older, wealthier man in an arranged marriage. Despite her popularity among the people, it soon becomes clear that her only marital expectations are to produce a male heir, and overlook the many affairs of her husband.

Ralph Fiennes portrays the duke as someone who does monstrous things, but is not a monster himself. He's an emotionally coiled, supremely powerful man who's used to getting his own way, who wields his authority not out of maliciousness but a near-sighted adherence to his duty. At one point, Fiennes, with his exquisitely handsome face and sad blue eyes, watches a group of children at play and envies their freedom. In some ways, the duke is even more trapped by circumstance than his wife.

This still does not excuse the horrors that he cavalierly visits upon Georgiana. Barely into their marriage, he introduces a young girl that he has fathered with one of the maidservants, and instructs Georgiana to practice her motherly skills on the child in preparation for their own son. When she produces two girls instead, he treats them with less affection than he shows his beloved dogs.

Georgiana befriends Lady Elizabeth (Hayley Atwell), a noblewoman estranged from her husband, and persuades the duke to let her stay with them. But his carnal appetites soon result in a shocking arrangement where Georgiana is forced to share her marriage with her best friend, the grim trio even sitting at meals and attending social events together.

Georgiana tries to lose herself in promoting the career of Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper), a rising young politician with whom she's smitten. The duke forbids this liaison, even as he forces his wife to endure entertaining his mistress in their home.

Charlotte Rampling plays Georgiana's mother, whose counsel leads to the dead end of duty. "You have no other option," her mother explains when presented with her son-in-law's newest travesty. Her only recourse is "patience, fortitude and resignation."

Director Saul Dibb wisely focuses on the passion rather than the pomp. And Knightley, who, despite her lengthy filmography, is just 23 years old and is quietly turning into the finest actresses of her generation.

The Duchess

Rating: 3 and a half stars ( out of four)

Cast: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling, Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell.

Running time: 110 minutes.

Rated: PG-13; violence, sexuality and brief nudity.