In 1961, Kempton Bunton, a 60 year old taxi driver, stole Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. He sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government invested more in care for the elderly. What happened next became the stuff of legend. An uplifting true story about a good man who set out to change the world and managed to save his marriage.... (Full plot summary below)
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In 1961, Kempton Bunton, a 60 year old taxi driver, stole Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. He sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government invested more in care for the elderly. What happened next became the stuff of legend. An uplifting true story about a good man who set out to change the world and managed to save his marriage.
Leave your thoughts about The Duke.
| The TelegraphRobbie CollinThe Duke is that rarest of things: a comedy that knows that a twinkle in the eye and a fire in the belly needn’t be mutually exclusive. |
| The GuardianXan BrooksWhat a lovely, rousing, finally moving film this is. |
| RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyThe Duke is not his all-time-best picture, but it’s a very strong one, and it showcases his varied strengths as a filmmaker rather nicely. |
| The Hollywood ReporterDeborah YoungA funny-moving story enjoyably retold with classic British understatement and just the right twist at the end. |
| The New YorkerAnthony LaneThe Duke is as funny and as implausible as Michell’s “Notting Hill” (1999), the slight difference being that the ludicrous events in the new film happen to be true. |
| The GuardianPeter BradshawThere is a fair bit of sentimentality here, but an awful lot of affection and energy as well. |
| Time OutPhil de SemlyenOne token racism subplot aside, it juggles big ideas of social justice with more intimate moments of family life beautifully. |
| EmpireJohn NugentThe kind of heist movie that will steal your affections from under your nose. An Ealing-esque comedy with its heart exactly in the right place, it proves a fitting farewell for the multitalented director, Roger Michell. |
| The Irish TimesTara BradyThis is one of those snappy, well-formed Brit-coms that one expects to see reworked as a Full Monty- or Kinky Boots-style Broadway show. |
| Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternOne of the pleasures—even privileges—of watching a film like this is seeing what superb actors are able to do with material that doesn’t aspire to greatness. The story is charming, the performances are exceptional. |
