Search results
The Duke: Directed by Roger Michell. With Jim Broadbent, Heather Craney, Stephen Rashbrook, James Wilby. In 1961, Kempton Bunton, a 60 year old taxi driver, steals Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London.
- (14K)
- Biography, Comedy, Crime
- Roger Michell
- 2022-02-25
It is based on the true story of the 1961 theft of the Portrait of the Duke of Wellington by Francisco de Goya. The film stars Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren, Fionn Whitehead, Anna Maxwell Martin and Matthew Goode. It was Michell's penultimate film before his death on 22 September 2021.
Jun 25, 2021 · THE DUKE is set in 1961 when Kempton Bunton, a 60-year old taxi driver, stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London.
- 2 min
- 52.8K
- Sony Pictures Classics
Mar 25, 2022 · Overview. In 1961, 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. What happened next became the stuff of legend.
- A delightfully British true-crime caper that’s stranger-than-fiction.
- What’s the best British crime caper?
- The 25 Best Heist Movies
- Best Reviewed Movies of 2022
- Verdict
By Ryan Leston
Updated: Feb 25, 2022 6:50 pm
Posted: Feb 25, 2022 6:44 pm
The Duke hits U.K. theaters on Feb. 25, 2022.
Every good caper starts with an eccentric oddball, and The Duke is no different. Meet Kempton Bunton (Jim Broadbent), a 57-year-old cab driver who, in 1961, just might have pulled off the wackiest art theft in history. Based on a true story, Bunton allegedly broke into the National Gallery in London, pilfered Francisco Goya’s Portrait of the Duke of Wellington, then hoofed it back to his home in Newcastle, where he hid the painting from his wife in the back of a wardrobe… all while using it to blackmail the British government into providing free TV licences for pensioners.
If that sounds far-fetched, it’s because it really is.
The League of Gentlemen (1960)
The Italian Job (1969)
The First Great Train Robbery (1979)
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
The Bank Job (2008)
The Hatton Garden Job (2017)
The chemistry between Broadbent and Mirren is absolutely blinding as the pair pulls off some of the best performances of their careers. There’s an unabashed hopefulness about Bunton which Broadbent plays in earnest, while Mirren’s quick-tempered wife bounces off his working-class charm. She’s every bit as witty as Broadbent, too, reining him in when Bunton veers too close to calamity.
Well, almost. After spotting the sale of the Portrait of the Duke of Wellington on TV, he’s about to go a bit too far.
Kempton Bunton is more Feathers McGraw than The Pink Panther’s Phantom.
“
The “heist,” if you can call it that, is hilarious in its simplicity, made even more so by the comments of police chief Sir Joseph Simpson (Charles Edwards), who vastly overestimates the degree of criminal he’s dealing with. The fast-paced, Ocean’s Eleven-style cut is masterfully done by director Roger Michell, but the thief is certainly no professional. He’s more Feathers McGraw than The Pink Panther’s Phantom. And when the police later suggest that he’s a “trained commando,” it’s enough to make Bunton choke on his cuppa.
In fact, Michell doesn’t shy away from the almost slapstick nature of this weird caper, with an off-beat jazz score from George Fenton that channels some of the greatest heist movies in cinema history with a dash of The Pink Panther. It’s clear that both actors and filmmakers alike had a lot of fun with The Duke, as both performances and direction are playful, light-hearted, and full of old-school charm. Throw in a dash of stock footage to ground the drama in reality (while giving it an old cinema newsreel feel) and it adds up to a charming, hilarious, and over-the-top caper that will keep you laughing the whole way through.
Broadbent obviously steals the show with his quixotic take on Kempton Bunton, regaling the judge and jury with quips as he’s being examined by the prosecution. Matthew Goode makes an unexpectedly brilliant appearance, too, as Bunton’s educated (but sympathetic) defence barrister.
The Duke is unashamedly old-fashioned, channelling the best of British comedy in a true-crime caper that could easily have been a Peter Sellers yarn. But the real fun occurs when Bunton’s scheme unravels – a plot that barely made any sense in the first place. A touch of social commentary only adds to the film, elevating The Duke from an admittedly brilliant farce to a sensitive examination of what was wrong with 1960s Britain.
The Duke is a hilarious romp through one of the most audacious art thefts the world has ever seen.
“
The Duke is a searingly funny, quintessentially British comedy with some truly joyous performances from Jim Broadbent and Dame Helen Mirren. The laughs are undercut with themes of social justice and progressive thinking, turning this almost-heist flick into more of a social satire. The Duke pokes fun at the establishment with a Robin Hood lead who ...
Feb 24, 2022 · Culture | Film. The Duke movie review: expert handling on all sides makes this stranger than fiction story work. London’s most infamous art heist provides the backdrop for a funny and moving...
People also ask
Who is Kempton Bunton in 'the Duke' 2022?
Who starred in the Duke of Wellington?
Is the Duke based on a true story?
Where can I watch 'the Duke' 2022?
When will 'the Duke' be released?
Is the Duke a good movie?
Jun 14, 2023 · “The Duke” is a 2021 British comedy-drama film directed by Roger Michell. The film is based on the true story of Kempton Bunton, an elderly man who famously stole a valuable portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London in the 1960s. The film stars Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren, and Fionn Whitehead in the lead roles.
