“With a standout performance from Charlotte Kirk, duch*ess is enjoyable, violent, gory, and brilliant entertainment throughout.”
Vertigo Releasing releases the action-thriller duch*ess in cinemas this weekend. Directed by Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers & The Descent), the film will become available on Digital Download from 12th August. The film is another in the British crime and gangland genre. Receiving only a few days’ release at the cinema, you’d be mistaken for thinking the film isn’t worth a look. You’d be wrong.
PREMISE
duch*ess, a small-time crook, tries to enter the treacherous underworld of diamond trafficking and ends up left for dead when a deal goes wrong. Determined to seek retribution, she launches into an unwavering pursuit for vengeance.
THE CAST
The film stars Charlotte Kirk (The Lair), Philip Winchester (Strike Back), Colm Meaney (Layer Cake), Hoji Fortuna (That Dirty Black Bag), Colin Egglesfield (Something Borrowed), Stephanie Beachum (Dynasty) and Sean Pertwee (Dog Soldiers, Gotham).
NEIL MARSHALL
Director Neil Marshall had this to say about the film:
The criminal underworld, and especially gangsters, have been staple movie fodder since movies were invented, and their popularity is as strong as ever. Just look at the success of movies such as Goodfellas, The Departed, Pulp Fiction, True Romance or tv series like Narcos, Ozark and Breaking Bad. The universal appeal of criminals and their nefarious endeavours shows no sign of wavering.
Added to that, female driven action movies have also made their mark of late. Classic movies such as Kill Bill, Salt, Lucy, Hanna, Mad Max Fury Road, Hunger Games, and Atomic Blonde have proved very popular with audiences, and characters such as Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor have become cinematic icons. duch*eSS, and Scarlett Monaghan, follows firmly in this tradition, and I think the reason Scarlett’s story resonates so strongly, particularly amongst women, is because she’s not a superhero or a spy, she’s a regular London girl just trying to survive in this crazy world.
With duch*eSS I wanted to create a British action crime thriller with international appeal. While its themes of love lost and raving taken are universal, I decided early on in the development of the script that rather than go down the traditional route of East End gangsters and co*ckney swagger, I wanted to broaden its scope, not just in terms of its visual texture and style, but also its central story. I changed up drug deals for the more mysterious and somewhat enticing world of international diamond smuggling. Who isn’t drawn to the allure of a sparkling diamond? And instead of the rainy back streets of London, I wanted to give this film a sun-baked and vibrant look. And of course, the movie is packed full of exciting and intense action sequences in the great tradition of films like Heat, The Untouchables and Scarface.
duch*eSS is a fresh take on a genre we all love, and it’s a hell of a wild ride
PREMISE
duch*ess, a small-time crook, tries to enter the treacherous underworld of diamond trafficking and ends up left for dead when a deal goes wrong. Determined to seek retribution, she launches into an unwavering pursuit for vengeance.
THOUGHTS
From the very start, the film is highly enjoyable. With a superb leading role from Charlotte Kirk as Scarlett/ duch*ess, the film has many senses as it goes along. A sense of anger, and fear, along with a sense of triumph, enjoyment, and the strength of a woman. Charlotte Kirk is exceptional from the first seconds until the last. Her character’s journey from small-time pickpocket to what she becomes is brilliantly fun and thrilling. From a scared young woman to a toughened one, hell-bent on revenge, demanding of what she’s due, we can never tear our eyes from her. The actress also writes the screenplay alongside Neil Marshall and it has everything you’d want or expect from a movie like this. Watching her character morph into an anti-heroine to be reckoned with in the murky underworld will become a guilty pleasure.
THE SUPPORTING CAST
The supporting cast all play their roles well. Philip Winchester as Rob, Scarlett’s ‘love of her life’ gives a great performance as the male lead. It is his character that leads Scarlett’s arc from petty thief to becoming the duch*ess. He is amiable and fun to watch in his role. Hoji Fortuna as Billy, one of Rob’s right-hand men is brilliant throughout. When he appears onscreen, we feel fear at what the quiet but fierce man may do if he needs to.
Sean Pertwee as Danny, the second of Rob’s men brings some violent content along to go hand in hand with his character being the comedy relief at times. And he is wonderful. Throw in Stephanie Beacham as Charlie, an underworld legend to be feared will open everyone’s eyes. You expect her to be quiet, kind, and pleasant. Instead, she’s wild, violent, and foul-mouthed. You’ll never look at her in the same way again.
VERDICT
With a standout performance from Charlotte Kirk, duch*ess is enjoyable, violent, gory, and brilliant entertainment throughout. Neil Marshall directs the film with some brilliant energy, framing London and Tenerife superbly in his style, and bringing an enjoyably fun sense to proceedings. With the twists and turns that the film brings to the table, it is a fun ride. Some things do grate on occasion and it isn’t always plain sailing or straightforward. Some characters are not fleshed out as best as they could be and some situations pick at our nerves slightly. But these are few and far between, only taking a small amount of gloss off of what is a great addition to the London Underworld movie genre.
One bugbear that the audience may find weird is the gunplay. Many of the males in the film are described as ex-army and/ or mercenaries. That may be so but if this is the case why, during the gunfight scenes, can 9 times out of ten, are they unable to hit a barn door with a banjo? This could be what was intended, a sense of comedic relief that takes the tension out of these scenes. But at times, it comes across as annoying. It is also worth keeping in mind that near the climax, the film contains some violent scenes that the squeamish will cringe at. And I do mean cringe. If you’re sensitive to screen violence and blood and gore, you’ll require a sick bag at the climax.
“ONE OF THE MOST ENTERTAINING MOVIES OF THE YEAR”
But if you’re not, enjoy a good old-fashioned British crime movie and want to be thoroughly entertained for almost two hours, you’ll enjoy checking out the film. Believe me, the duch*ess has risen. She is standing tall amongst all the men in the world. And she isn’t scared to take on all comers. Neil Marshall and Charlotte Kirk have put some of the big Hollywood blockbusters to shame in the best way possible. One of the most entertaining movies of the year.
duch*ess is in cinemas from Friday and on digital download from Monday.
Carl Roberts
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
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Tags: Charlotte Kirk duch*ess Film Review Hoji Fortuna Movie Review Neil Marshall Philip Winchester Reviews Sean Pertwee Stephanie Beacham Vertigo Releasing
