'The Duke' Review: An Irresistible Comedy Anchored By Wonderful Performances From Jim Broadbent And Helen Mirren

Arlington TX

01 May, 2022

8:21 PM

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By Joe Friar, Fort Worth Report April 30, 2022 Roger Michell's films are cinema's version of comfort food. The British version, of course, more Shepherd's pie than Chicken Fried Steak. From "Notting Hill" to "The Weekend" to the charming documentary "Tea with the Dames," a bevy of smiles and laughs are usually at the center of Michell's work. Sadly, the theater, television, and filmmaker passed away last year but he left us with one last narrative film, an irresistible comedy called "The Duke" based on the true story of the aging art thief who stole a Goya to protest taxation on the elderly. Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren are a delight. Two things in this world we can be sure of, death and taxes. Michell's passing leaves a void in British Cinema, but before we say goodbye, he left us with two films. A documentary about British monarch Queen Elizabeth II, which hits theaters later this year, and "The Duke" whose villain is not so much a person, but rather those mandatory contributions levied on us by the government, taxes. Broadbent plays Kempton Bunton, a gracious and cordial senior, who has no time for injustice especially when it concerns veterans or the elderly. He sees himself as a version of Robin Hood while his wife Dorothy (Mirren) sees him as an idiot. The banter between the two actors is quite enjoyable. Their deep-seated love is evident but the constant bickering, which usually seeps into a relationship over the years, is fueled by Dorothy's pain over the loss of their teenage daughter Marian, who passed away 13 years earlier. Kempton's grieving process includes writing a play inspired by Marian, while Dorothy refuses to speak about their daughter, the loss is still too much to bear. Kempton's heart of gold keeps him in constant trouble as he fights for the rights of his fellow man. When he sees a coworker being treated unfairly, he speaks up which explains why he can't seem to hold down a job and why Dorothy works so hard as a housekeeper for her rich employer. With extra time on his hands, Kempton heads to Parliament to protest the BBC's television tax. His refusal to pay the fee has landed him in jail once, even though he removed the coil from the TV needed to catch programs by the British Broadcast Corporation, a genius move, but nonetheless, if you own a TV you have to pay the tax. Kempton feels television should be free for everyone, especially the elderly and veterans. To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.