When you think of heist films, you typically imagine thieves to be this group of attractive loners that have specific skills that make them perfectly suited for a life of crime. Well, in the film, “The Duke,” one of the biggest art heists in modern history is actually perpetrated by one of the most unlikely criminals you could think of.
As seen in the trailer for the new feel-good drama, “The Duke,” the film follows the incredible true story of Kempton Bunton, a 60-year-old taxi driver in 1961, who was able to steal a Goya masterpiece from an art gallery. Why did he commit this shocking crime? Well, in a bit of Robin Hood-esque morality, Bunton wanted to hold the art ransom so he could raise money for charity.
The new film features a cast that includes Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren, Fionn Whitehead, Anna Maxwell Martin, Matthew Goode, Jake Bandeira, Aimée Kelly, and Charlotte Spencer. “The Duke” is directed by Roger Michell, who is probably best known for his previous films such as “Notting Hill,” “Hyde Park on Hudson,” and his 2019 drama, “Blackbird.” In our review of “The Duke,” from last year’s Venice Film Festival, we called the film “proudly old-fashioned, satisfying family entertainment.”
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“The Duke” arrives in theaters this fall. You can watch the trailer below.
Here’s the synopsis:
In 1961, Kempton Bunton (Jim Broadbent), a 60-year old taxi driver, stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. It was the first (and remains the only) theft in the Gallery’s history. Kempton sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government invested more in care for the elderly – he had long campaigned for pensioners to receive free television. What happened next became the stuff of legend. Only 50 years later did the full story emerge – Kempton had spun a web of lies. The only truth was that he was a good man, determined to change the world and save his marriage – how and why he used the Duke to achieve that is a wonderfully uplifting tale.