We’ve seen dozens of films like The Duke many times before – lightweight comedies often based on real events, featuring an actor or two that are considered veterans of the industry (and are normally British, but sometimes venture into other corners of the globe), and use the blend of humour and pathos to create something entertaining and accessible. This kind of film is especially true when looking at the career of Roger Michell, who peddled in these kinds of lovable but traditional stories. Unfortunately, it was the hardworking director’s final film, as he would sadly pass away not long after making it, which meant that this serves as his swan song – and while we don’t often look at him as much of an auteur, his consistent style and ability to evoke some very deep emotions, even when working from stories written by others, is mightily impressive. The Duke certainly does not reach the impossible heights of some of his canonical masterpieces, but both as a piece of true crime storytelling, and an upbeat comedy, the film is a delightful diversion, telling the story of a semi-retired working-class everyman who finds himself in a precarious position after coming into possession of a world-famous painting, which he holds for ransom, in the hopes of raising some money for his community. A story of valiant heroism amongst the draconian bureaucracy that is shown to care more about a painting than its citizens, The Duke is absolutely delightful, and a worthy way to spend a bit of time, especially if you’re attuned to this kind of charming, hilarious and well-made story of overcoming adversity.

The simplicity of this film is primarily the reason it works so well, even if it is not particularly challenging cinema as a whole. Michell may not have been the most daring director, but he was one that knew how to tell a compelling story, and The Duke is certainly an excellent example of a good narrative that is told with precision and dedication, which can disguise some of its more glaring flaws, which are packaged together in a way that helps keep the film afloat based on how it follows a conventional structure, but not in a way that feels needlessly predictable. The film has a very distinct tone that we normally can expect from these kinds of stories, something between irreverent comedy and deeply sentimental drama, so for those that are not interested in this kind of heavy-handed retelling of the past, especially in terms of stories that try to blend socio-cultural commentary with domestic issues in the hopes of showing a different side of life, The Duke may be difficult to embrace. However, for anyone that has a taste for these upbeat and vaguely absurd comedies that are driven more by warmth than they are by ambition, the film is truly delightful, the kind of well-constructed comedy that may only be operating at the surface level (and as a result lack a considerable amount of depth), but are undeniably entertaining, especially in the areas that many would dismiss for being too overwrought, whereby the film finds a lot of joyfulness, separating it from the more unnecessarily convoluted versions of similar stories that we often associated with this kind of subdued period comedy.

Something that is most commonly associated with films such as The Duke is the constant use of older veterans in the major roles. Some have dismissed this as a tendency towards pandering to the older generation (since we all ultimately prefer to see characters similar to us reflected on screen, even if only subconsciously), but in reality, this is giving a chance for some senior actors to have their moment on screen in a way that more mainstream projects don’t normally allow. This film features Jim Broadbent in one of his rare leading roles, playing the luckless but optimistic protagonist, a man who is assertive in his desire to fight for justice, but constantly failing until an opportunity to really change his surroundings comes about. Broadbent is not doing challenging work – the lovable older gentleman that may be a bit rough around the edges but has a heart of gold is not one that is particularly uncommon in these kinds of stories – but he’s so profoundly compelling in the role, and he sells every moment he is on screen with fervent dedication. He’s joined by Dame Helen Mirren, who momentarily sets aside her more intimidating stature as one of the great stars of her generation to play the more humble wife of the main character, a role that would be seen as insignificant in the hands of nearly any other actor, but which is incredibly intriguing when Mirren is at the helm. The pair have impeccable chemistry, which makes the fact that The Duke was their first proper collaboration, a rare phenomenon for two actors who have been working as long in the industry as them. They anchor the film, and give The Duke the necessary gravitas it needed to be a resounding success in every way.

As conventional as The Duke may be, it is never boring. While we may look at this film and think back on the many more successful heist comedies from the past (such as How to Steal a Million, which is also similarly set within the art world), it’s important to note that there was a limit on what could be done with this story. Perhaps the emphasis on the legend of Robin Hood can become slightly tenuous after a while, but considering how this is a film designed to be accessible more than it is artistically resonant, which is an important distinction considering who the target audience is. Cinema is only as challenging as the viewer wants it to be, and when it comes to a story like this, easily contained, comedically-charged ideas are far more digestible than the grim reality that the character of Kempton Bunton had to face when put on trial – the film does maintain a general sense of decorum and for the most part in terms of historical accuracy, but it likely elides the sadder details, keeping the hardship to a level that is downbeat but not depressing. On a purely objective level, it’s easy to understand why some may find this objectionable – but when we consider that not every film needs to be neatly compact, and that some can simply exist as delightfully off-the-wall comedies that also happen to be based on more serious issues, it starts to make much more sense, especially in the context that we’re seeing in this particular film. Michell mastered this kind of quietly resilient and reliable storytelling, and made something that may not have been particularly revolutionary, but has a strong moral fibre that compensates for its outward simplicity, which is a quality that not too many similar films would see as necessary.

The Duke represents a strong effort from a director that may have often been dismissed for making films that are usually quite slight, but actually do tend to have a considerable amount of depth once we look beneath the surface and focus on the specific ideas that underpin an otherwise sentimental comedy. The story of Kempton Bunton is a curious one, and while there were certainly a range of different approaches that could have been taken with this material, this strangely feels like the most logical, at least in terms of being a well-formed, insightful and funny comedy that doesn’t neglect the more serious sides of the story, using it in objectively creative ways, rather than depending on details that aren’t of too much interest. Grounded by a pair of reliable performances from two exceptional actors, and told with the kind of wit and candour we have come to expect from this sub-genre of true-life comedy, The Duke is a charming excursion into the past, telling a story that may not be particularly important in theory, but at its core is very moving, looking at the plight of the working-class through the lens of one man’s valiant crusade to provide a better life for himself and others. Upbeat and wonderfully eccentric, but firmly anchored in reality, The Duke is a wonderfully endearing film, and the perfect historically-resonant diversion that often appears and takes us by surprise with its unexpected complexity and genuinely earnest sense of humour.