Duchess: Download & Review

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Director: Neil Marshall

Writers: Neil Marshall, Charlotte Kirk, Simon Farr

Stars: Charlotte Kirk, Philip Winchester, Colm Meaney

Reviews   Duchess

Neil Marshall’s "Duchess" feels like a desperate attempt to replicate the magic of a Guy Ritchie film, particularly his breakout hit "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels." Just as many filmmakers in the '90s tried and failed to emulate Quentin Tarantino’s style, "Duchess" stumbles in its effort to capture Ritchie’s distinctive blend of sharp dialogue, interwoven criminal plots, and flashy cinematic techniques. The film is stuffed with mismatched music cues, freeze frames introducing characters, over-the-top narration, and a convoluted web of tough-talking criminals. It tries so hard to mirror Ritchie’s work that he almost deserves a writing credit—though he likely wouldn’t want it. A more fitting title for this misfire might have been "Atrocious."

The film’s lead, Charlotte Kirk, gives a remarkably lifeless performance as Scarlett Monaghan, a woman who meets the charming Robert McNaughton (Philip Winchester) while out with her lackluster boyfriend one night. Scarlett and Robert’s instant chemistry leads to a quick disposal of Mr. Wrong and the beginning of a passionate affair. But things take a dark turn when Scarlett discovers Robert’s line of work: he’s a diamond dealer navigating a dangerous underworld, aided by his criminal associates Danny (Sean Pertwee) and Baraka (Hoji Fortuna). Colin Egglesfield plays a rival of Robert, while Stephanie Beacham is saddled with delivering some of the film’s most cringe-worthy dialogue as a crime lord in the jewelry trade.

As the plot unfolds, Scarlett finds herself drawn into more danger than she ever anticipated when she first locked eyes with Robert. The script, co-written by Marshall, Kirk, and Simon Farr, aspires to be a Guy Ritchie-style revenge story, with shades of "Kill Bill" thrown in for good measure. But the film falls flat on almost every front. Kirk lacks the charisma or believability to carry an action role, which might explain why Marshall resorts to excessive violence in a futile attempt to inject some excitement into this tedious movie. Scenes of brutal torture, like a hot iron being pressed to a man’s genitals or a face set ablaze, feel gratuitous and off-putting, transforming the film into a grotesque, torture-porn parody of "Snatch."

The film’s plot and tone are so absurdly overdone that "Duchess" ends up playing more like a caricature of Ritchie’s style than a loving homage. At nearly two hours long, it drags on endlessly, feeling twice as long as its runtime. And when it finally ends with an obvious setup for a sequel, it comes across as more of a threat than a promise.