O Duque

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.

I really, really liked this film. The acting is brilliant, Dame Helen Mirren plays an amazing bitter old woman. Even though the film is advertised as a comedy, it is just as much a drama about a family just trying to have their voices heard. The court scene at the end is brilliantly written and definitely hits you in the feels, hard. It was bold, but then again so is the true story behind the film. I commend that man for standing up for what is right and fair, in the face of adversity. I recommend this to any British film lovers, or if you just need a good dramedy in your life for a minute. 4 stolen paintings out of 5.

The Duke: A true crime film. Jim Broadbent plays 60 year old Kempton Bunton who in 1961 stole Goya's Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery, Helen Mirren is his wife, Dorothy. Mirren has to put with a lot, Bunton finds it hard to keep a job, is an aspiring playwright and campaigns for free tv licenses for OAPs and war veterans. His high jinks gets him into constant trouble with the authorities. Some great comical scenes but the best are the courtroom antics. An enjoyable comedy drama with impressive performances by Broadbent and Mirren alongside a strong supporting cast. A few interesting plot twists. Directed by Roger Michell from a screenplay by Richard Bean and Clive Coleman. 8/10.

I did not realise this was based on a true story till the end but that just made the film even more special. Its just a simple story about a simple man that is just so quintessentially British.

The acting is spot on and there are a few great twists and turns to enjoy.

Well worth the watch for anyone to enjoy.

A good story which is told well and has some great acting performances. It wasn't as funny as I was expecting with a fair bit of focus on a tragedy and everyday life, but it was still pretty humorous and enjoyable throughout. The setting and style felt authentic and the seamless use of stock footage complemented this.