A review of Neil Marshall’s new 70’s inspired gangster revenge thriller Duchess (2024) By Christopher Evans.
Film director Neil Marshall is renowned for his strong female characters, his previous films and TV work such as the Decent parts 1 and 2, (2005-2009); Doomsday (2008) ,Game Of Thrones (2021) and Westworld (2022), all feature memorable female characters who go beyond the stereotypical archetypes prevalent in so many low budget films. His latest release Duchess (2024) is his first foray into revenge action thriller territory, with a few more films planned as future projects specifically in the action genre.
Duchess (2024), is set in the murky world of diamond smuggling. The movie is driven by themes of vengeance, survival, and empowerment, featuring a gritty ensemble cast. The film follows a tough, working-class pickpocket and grifter named Scarlett played by Charlotte Kirk, who is swept from her feet Pretty Woman style, by blood diamond trader with a heart Rob, played by Philip Winchester. When a diamond deal goes wrong, Scarlett is left for dead. Determined to seek revenge, she transforms into a formidable anti-heroine, Duchess (possibly a nod to The Stranglers song of the same name) navigating the dangerous underworld while pursuing revenge on those who betrayed her.
The film wears it’s influences on its sleeve, and you can clearly see nods to I Spit On Your Grave / Night Of The Woman (1978), Kill Bill (2001), James Bond’s Thunderball (1965) , Leon : The Professional and err.. May Fair Lady (1964).
As is traditional in Neil’s movies Sean Pertwee makes an appearance in a prominent role as Danny Oswald, who aids Scarlett in her mission of vengeance. Much like Christopher Nolan used Michael Cain in most of his movies, Sean is Neil’s lucky charm and is this movie saving grace. It’s great to see Star Trek: The Generation, Commitments actor Colm Meaney, literally filling the screen as Scarlett’s jailbird dad . A special appearance by British legend Stephanie Beacham (Joan Collins mustn’t have been available..) in ultra-bitch mode.
Also, along for the ride is Hoji Fortuna as Billy Baraka, and it is his chemistry with Sean Pertwee that is the gaffer tape that holds the film together. I would love to see a spin-off stand-alone sequel starring these two characters.
The film was shown on day two of this years Fighting Spirit Film Festival. Director Of Cinematography Simon Rowling is no stranger to the festival as he has shown many of his short films throughout the years. The intimate setting of the festival’s new venue of The Hackney Picturehouse does the film justice and the image is crisp and colours look amazing.
Neil Marshall is here in person for the screening as well as taking part alongside director of cinematography Simon Rowling in the question-and-answer session after the films screening. As a fellow Geordie it was great to talk to him before the screening as Dog Soldiers was such a cult hit back in the day, and inspired many people that lived outside of London and Hollywood, to get involved in independent film making.
Duchess (2024) was shot in Tenerife in mid-2022 in 24 days on a modest budget, which is an amazing feat, and it has an epic scope of a much bigger production. Neil edited the film personally and know how to make a big bang for his buck.
Having both watched the new The Crow movie re-boot / re-make, in the same week as seeing Duchess (2024), there are some parallels in both films. The films are at their core love stories, and unfortunately both films feature main protagonists who don’t seem to have the right chemistry to make you believe that they are a couple in love .
Also, both movies were shot at the tail end of the COVID-19 restrictions ( director Neil Marshall caught Covid -19 early on in the shoot and had to direct a few scenes from an isolated tent on set), both films seem to lack a conviction of sorrow as to why they are going ahead with their “mission” in the film.
Not to say the film is not without it’s merits. The action choreography and scenes are amazing and well executed. As an 80’s movie fan it was great to see the return of automatic machine guns on screen.
One thing that the film could have done without though is the grating Dick Van Dyke cock-nee cor blimey govna narration which spoils the pacing of the film . It would have been better to have cut this out entirely and focus on the emotional vulnerability of Scarlett and her transformation into the ruthless Duchess .Also having some of the plot points in the other characters dialogue rather than the voice over paint her as a big I -am- cockney geezer ( geezer-ess?) , explaining every character and there backstory would have been easy to have done and preventing it going into the same old cliche.. This is just my personal gripe though, as I had the similar beef with Scott Adkins Accident Man movies.
With Neil’s pedigree in the horror world, as expected there is quite a lot of tongue in cheek humour and Kensington -gore . In one scene Stephanie Beecham gives a poor lad a ” Sicilian necktie and using uses his bloody remains as unique “artwork”. The dry gallows humour in the film makes it more palatable when the plot and action grows a bit thin. The film is a great vehicle for Charlotte Kirk who has overcome a lot in the past 10 years on and off the screen, and she is a poster girl to show that people who suffer with autism can become action heroines. Charlotte seems to relish in playing the vengeance vixen. but the lack of any genuine spark between leading man Philip Winchester’ s character Rob, (who is a cross between Nathaniel Fillion and Daniel Craig era James Bond) and Charlotte’s character Scarlett and slightly stilted cliche dialogue that is ultimately the films downfall.
Verdict 6 / 10: I Spit On Your Grave? .. more like I Spit in Your Gravy. The film is a mashup of various genres, but ultimately the films has a big ego where it’s heart should have been, and Neil’s insistence on not having stereotypical characters, leads the key characters to come across as underdeveloped and under used in certain places . Fans of the Cockney Geezer Teasers sub-genre films starring the likes of Danny Dyer and Craig Fairbrass will love this,
Hardcore Marshall fans will enjoy it for Sean Pertwee’s scene stealing performance, but regular action fans will have seen it all before.
This sun faded pastiche of the gangster movie genre is far from a return to form from the Geordieland auteur and could have been handled so much better with more emotional connection between the key characters, but is worth watching for the effort and work that went into crafting this movie.
If you like Duchess (2024) then check out – 1) I Spit On Your Grave / Night Of The Woman (1978) , 2,) MS.45 (1981) , 3) Body Weapon (1999), 4)Accident Man (2018)
