Duchess Movie Review: Is It Really Empowering or Just Exploitative?

Duchess Movie Review: Does It Really Deliver Female Empowerment?

The Duchess movie had big promises: a tough, exciting revenge thriller with an awesome leading lady, all set in the gritty world of diamond smuggling! It was pretty exciting at first, especially considering how popular movies about strong female leads are - it was like a cross between Pretty Woman and Guy Ritchie’s London gangster films.

What Did the Movie Miss?

In all honesty, it felt kinda disappointing, a bit outdated - especially compared to all those awesome female-led crime movies we have now! And yeah, that's right! It just wasn't that feminist - more like "the man" controlling the action. Think those lingering camera shots focusing on Scarlett in super skimpy outfits. Even those violent scenes just kept zooming in on her blood-splattered chest.

What Went Wrong?

The storyline? Charlotte Kirk (who is the writer and also the star of the Duchess movie) wanted us to see her character go through an amazing transformation from a small-time criminal into this powerhouse, an “anti-heroine to be reckoned with." But things got kinda bogged down by her "knight in shining armor," Rob, who always seemed perfect and totally in charge.
You’ve gotta be careful with tropes: the story ended up just embracing these tired, sexist clichés, with women being used as the “damsel in distress" or just some hot-looking distraction. That is kinda unfortunate since they tried to subvert those things, but didn't go all the way!

Was it all bad?

The story gets pretty violent and maybe the Duchess Movie 2024 does have its fair share of awesome scenes! It is a super interesting blend of genres that takes on this world of crime! You even have this cool scene where Scarlett gets into the big leagues and takes over! That is kinda cool!
The film definitely did a decent job with the acting, which might make up for its shortcomings.

Who are the stars?

You've got Charlotte Kirk as Scarlett, of course! There's Colm Meaney - the super-recognizable actor, playing the part of her dad. And of course Sean Pertwee, with those super slick Gotham scenes, makes a guest appearance. You know this film will make you say, “I’ve seen those guys before!"

In the end, I gotta say, Duchess is a little underwhelming! It’s more of a reminder that the movie industry still has to overcome those pesky, old-fashioned ways of portraying women! It seems like Duchess tried to shake things up but got stuck with too much of that dated exploitation cinema style! So maybe watch this one after you have a great pizza - that’s how you make a Duchess experience more worth it!