To resume, Keira plays the free-spirited wife of a royal and we should be moved by the injustices she endures ? Sorry but no way for me : for sure, as movies are done by privileged people, some of them can face hard times and maybe that class is interested and praises such movie ! but myself, as a worker and a citizen in a so-called democracy, i just don't give a s...t to the cries of the upper class ! This movie has the value to get into splendid houses and manors to understand their way of life : they have so much rooms for free and servants, maids to answer all their needs while having an really easy idle life that really i just don't care if they are happy or not ! With such privileges, they should be helpful giving hands instead of hypocritical lessons givers ! So this movie really left me cold and i'm a bit tired to see Keira as an aristocrat crying in period movies. But at least, England knows how to look back at its past because in France, i don't see movies about that time !

Such a shame that they used Kiera Knightly for this role. She is totally unconvincing. She walks around with that annoying trademark of her; like some brainless spice girl with too much amphetamine and happy pills in her stomach. She always has that particular smile which adds nothing to her character. Well, it adds to her own character and that seems pretty consistent. Like some other reviewer wrote: she has no sex appeal. She looks like an lab experiment of an attempt to combine a male / female gender appearance. I cannot think of an reason why she is such a popular actress. She always has the same approach of the character. And with this English costume drama, with a great cast, she was the weakest link. I can understand if Ralph Fiennes had great difficulties with the performance level of Mrs. Knightly. Who wouldn't? I think that the producers should be ashamed of this movie.

As others note, there was lots of real history going on during this period, yet we are privy to none of it in this movie. We are instead served an endless buffet of "rehashed victimology theme #853" the female audience seems to endlessly crave even after 30-40 years of the same old schlock.The Duke has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and the movie is merely a litany of his oppression of the protagonist. If these "Burning Bed" type movies ever contained more than a Star Wars level of black hat white hat moral ambivalence, discerning viewers would take them more seriously. As it is, they are to be either collectively laughed or yawned at other than in Jr. College Women's Studies departments throughout the land, where I imagine this movie gets lots of play.If you were hoping to learn about a female historical figure, her place in history and accomplishments, this isn't it, just a very stale soapy theme in pretty wrappings. Ladies, will you please tire of this dreck? It's been 40 years of it, how much more do we have to endure?

First I have to say that this is very heartbreaking. I can't help myself not to feel sad about women in that period. I really don't know how could they could lived such a life. Rich, but very poor in a way and pitiful. The story was heartbreaking and tragic. But, the actors did a fantastic job. Keira Knightley is a wonderful and brilliant actress, she is just made for these period roles, she nails them in an outstanding way. And she is a perfect "on screen" mother. Although she doesn't have a child on her own, she acts like a truly mother when required. I'm a very though person but I must admit that the scene, where little Eliza is token away from her arms, I feel like my heart was ripping apart, even though I don't know that feeling, but the hole point is....amazingly acted and done. Ralph Fiennes, I must be forgiven for this, but I won't praise him much. He is great actor, he did a great job, but I totally hate his character, which is more tragic given the fact that that person existed. And persons like him still exists somewhere in this world. The cast did a wonderful job. It deserved it's Oscar and even much more if it could receive, no doubt! I love the movie, but I can't give it a 10 because the story it's cruel. And it's nobody's fault, it's just a fact and I feel sorry for this.Worth watching! 8/10