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The Duke

Play trailer 2:19 Poster for The Duke R Released Apr 22, 2022 1h 36m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
97% Tomatometer 147 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
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. It was the first (and remains the only) theft in the Gallery's history. Kempton sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government invested more in care for the elderly -- he had long campaigned for pensioners to receive free television. What happened next became the stuff of legend. Only 50 years later did the full story emerge -- Kempton had spun a web of lies. The only truth was that he was a good man, determined to change the world and save his marriage -- how and why he used the Duke to achieve that is a wonderfully uplifting tale.
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The Duke

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Critics Consensus

A sweet swan song for director Roger Michell, The Duke offers a well-acted and engaging dramatization of an entertainingly improbable true story.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Whittaker Austin Chronicle The Duke may superficially seem like old hat, but in its comfortable ways there’s still a strong message. May 5, 2022 Full Review Rex Reed Observer A charming, understated and completely enjoyable frolic about how ordinary people can do extraordinary things that seems doubly startling because, while seeming implausible, it also happens to be absolutely true. Rated: 3/4 May 4, 2022 Full Review Ty Burr Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack) It’s a daft, lovely story, and it opens up like a flower – the final half hour is deeply and unexpectedly moving. Rated: 3/4 Apr 29, 2022 Full Review Zach Youngs InSession Film The Duke is a joyful caper that makes you think about how much more we could all be doing to impact the lives of others around us if we just stuck our noses out a little bit. Rated: B Jul 3, 2024 Full Review Farah Cheded A Good Movie To Watch Thanks to [Broadbent's] performance — and the note-perfect direction of the late, great Roger Michell — a quirky footnote of history becomes a sweet, unexpectedly moving story about solidarity and the power of the underdog. Dec 8, 2023 Full Review Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice A true story about a elder who steals a painting in order to help others, demonstrating the philosophy of ubuntu. Rated: 5/5 May 28, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jeffrey R Heartwarming true story, loved it! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/13/22 Full Review Jane2lCB Shows the humanity of a working class family in Great Britain in early 1960s. Each member has issue(s) to cope with and each doesn't necessarily conform to what was the accepted norms of the time. But love does weave through the tale and unity returns in the end. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/12/22 Full Review Mary03 Such a cute story! We loved it! It was well acted, the scenery was authentic. Helen Mirren brought clout to the movie. It was just the type of movie we need right now..Honest, sweet and uplifting. My husband felt the same. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/12/22 Full Review Diana We had to make up the dialog as it went along since it was almost unintelligible. However the movie was incredibly sweet and well worth seeing. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/09/22 Full Review Moises This brick is calling all bricks to assemble and view this wonderful story. :) Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/01/22 Full Review Eve Lovely story. Starts off slow but builds to a satisfying conclusion. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/31/22 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis 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. It was the first (and remains the only) theft in the Gallery's history. Kempton sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government invested more in care for the elderly -- he had long campaigned for pensioners to receive free television. What happened next became the stuff of legend. Only 50 years later did the full story emerge -- Kempton had spun a web of lies. The only truth was that he was a good man, determined to change the world and save his marriage -- how and why he used the Duke to achieve that is a wonderfully uplifting tale.
Director
Roger Michell
Producer
Nicky Bentham
Screenwriter
Richard Bean, Clive Coleman
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Screen Yorkshire, Neon Films, Ingenious Media, Pathé Films, Great Bison Productions
Rating
R (Language and Brief Sexuality)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 22, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 26, 2022
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.5M
Runtime
1h 36m
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