
WHAT'S IT ABOUT
The true story behind the 1961 theft of Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington by Kempton Bunton, a 60-year old taxi driver who held the painting for ransom, offering to return it in exchange for making the elderly exempt from paying TV licences.
What did we think
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The Duke is a charming little movie that may not be everyone's cup of tea, but would be very hard to dislike.
Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren have a warm and genuine chemistry together, and there's a few old-fashioned heist film elements at play that pair wonderfully with the decidedly unsophisticated nature of the theft itself. Kempton's socialist values and ransom demands could have steered the film towards a more heavy-handed social message, but instead benefits from keeping a relatively light and warm-hearted tone.
I'll definitely be sending my parents to see it. 3.5/5 Stars