Being a duchess may seem easy, but it’s not. And being a controversial duchess is even harder. “The Duchess” traces the big wigged, rigidly corseted life of Georgiana Spencer, the Duchess of Devonshire from 1774 to 1806.

Georgiana (a charming Keira Knightley), who was born in 1757, went from cheerfully running and jumping around the bright green vastness of the family domain under the merciless look of her mother (Charlotte Rampling) to shaking under the cold touch of the Duke of Devonshire, impersonated by a first-rate Ralph Fiennes. An unfeeling, still gleaming catch, the duke married his teenage bride hoping that she would immediately give birth to a male heir. However, destiny interfered into the couple’s life and happiness failed to cross the duke’s and duchess’ path, in spite of the fact that they did have children. Bess Foster (Hayley Atwell), Georgiana’s only friend, catches the eye of the duchess’ ill-mannered husband, as he is desperately hunting for a mistress and, thus, life in paradise becomes worse than life in hell.

Georgiana eventually falls in love with a young politician, Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper) and decides to get even with her husband. In addition to this, the rising political figure will become the father of her out-of-wedlock child and, later on, prime minister.

While Saul Dibb’s “The Duchess” has a few moments of humor during its first half, it is a much gloomier and more weighty inquiry into the late 18^th century lifestyle than its sumptuous sets and costume designs would indicate at first glance. For all of the charisma the heroine radiates during social events and the imposing extravagance of the trends, most women went through situations of defamation behind the curtains and this is exactly what “The Duchess” reveals.