It's the minutiae, says director Saul Dibb, that can help a period piece feel more realistic. Perhaps that's why the exceptional acting by Keira Knightley makes it almost seem glamorous, if not acceptable, to drink copious amounts of wine throughout her many pregnancies as the 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. Per Knightley's suggestions, says Dibb, there's nary a scene where the Duchess is without a wine glass.
At The Cinema Society with Chanel and Vogue-hosted screening of The Duchess at the Public Theater and swank afterparty at the yet-to-officially open Cooper Square Hotel, Knightley and costar Dominic Cooper shared their experiences working on the film and working along side the legendary Ralph Fiennes. Author Amanda Foreman and director Saul Dibb were also on hand to give a little insight into the debaucherous world of the royals in England during the 18th century.
Keira Knightley doesn't take any of that regal, royal drama home with her because "I am not a method actress," she admits. What inspired the Oscar nominee who once bent it like Beckham about this decidedly more mature role was "the juxtaposition between her huge sort of public persona and her private life that was crumbling, and the vulnerability and the intense loneliness she was feeling. I thought she was just this fascinating mixture and fascinating contradiction all at once. I just love playing really strong, interesting women."
As for the honor of playing against the legendary Ralph Fiennes, Knightley has, after all, played against our great American pirate Johnny Depp so she knows how to hold her own. However, she admits to being dazzled by Fiennes' ability to play the tactless and unloving Duke and at the same time breathe sympathy into his character.
Dominic Cooper survived the ordeal of wearing a special contraption to cover his nether regions thanks to his excellent sense of humor. Ever the gentleman, he "let [Knightley] pick the device" he would wear for their sex scene where he had had to drop trou. (It was between a furry sock, a flesh-colored diaper, and something Spandex. Knightley allegedly chose the diaper in good humor.) Alas, it wasn't Cooper's first time at the rodeo. He jokes that he'd actually worn something similar but "only personally." Refreshingly, Cooper's more playful real life banter juxtaposed Knightley's no-nonsense, elusive movie star attitude.
Are you going to see The Duchess? What do you think of period pieces?
