The Duke

2020
R
1h 35m

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

14K

YOUR RATING

Helen Mirren and Jim Broadbent in The Duke (2020)

Play trailer2:17

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Docudrama True Crime Biography Comedy Crime Drama

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.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.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.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

14K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 6 nominations

Trivia
EON productions, who are the producers of the official James Bond film series are notoriously protective of their property and rarely give permission for clips to be used in other studio's movies for fear of the clips being misused or lampooned. In this case Dame Helen Mirren and director Roger Michell personally asked the Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson for permission to use the Scene from Dr. No (1962) and promised the scene would be used in context and not adulterated in any way. A small fee was paid (which was donated to charity) and Broccoli and Wilson were allowed to view the finished film with the promise of that if they didn't like how the scene was used then it would be removed before release. Fortunately, they had no complaints.

Goofs
When visiting Kempton in his remand cell to discuss his ongoing court case, his QC leans on the "brick" cell wall, which clearly bends and rebounds, seemingly made of a rubberised material cast to resemble old painted brickwork.

Quotes
Kempton Bunton: I'd just finished reading Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness and I felt a need to explore Sunderland.

Connections
Featured in The Graham Norton Show: Adele/Helen Mirren/Jim Broadbent/Golda Rosheuvel/George Ezra (2022)

Soundtracks
Shop Window
Composed by Ivor Slaney
Published by de Wolfe Music
Licensed courtesy of de Wolfe Ltd

User reviews116

Review

Featured review

8/10

Art heist comedy charms and cheers

A tonic for these sombre times, this sweet natured light and easy comedy tells the tale of how in 1961 an eccentric man from Newcastle stole a valuable Goya portrait from London's national gallery. It's a wonderfully old fashioned film which echoes well the flavour humour and style of the Ealing comedies, mixing split screen archive film with superbly grimy re-creations of old Newcastle and London, and just a little bit if social comment too. Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren revel in it all, as do rest of the cast, and the whole things cruises along and raises a many a smile - a tonic indeed. It's also a true story. Highly recommended.