Well before members of the British royal family became the tabloid darlings they are today, it was Georgiana, the scandal-plagued Duchess of Devonshire, who helped pave the way in the late 19th century. And so it seems appropriate that Keira Knightley, the current go-to girl for English period pieces, has been tabbed to portray her in The Duchess, Saul Dibb's opulent biopic of the trailblazing aristocrat.

Georgiana's travails begin at a young age, when she is married off at just 16 to William Cavendish, the mild-mannered Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes in the very embodiment of upright British conservatism) in the opening moments of the film. From the outset their union is established as a terrible match: naïve Georgiana dreams of romance, while the detached duke sees his new wife as little more than a vessel for producing a male heir. Nowhere is this more evident than on their wedding night, which features one of the least-sexy consummation scenes ever captured on film.

Saddled with the burdens of an aristocratic marriage but denied its pleasures, Georgiana seeks stimulation elsewhere, splitting her time between the worlds of politics, fashion, and gambling. For her exploits, she gains a certain celebrity status, which she uses to help further the ambitions of childhood friend and future prime minister Charles Grey (a doe-eyed Dominic Cooper).

But the public triumphs do little to ease the private pain of a loveless marriage, made worse by Georgiana's inability to quickly produce a son. While her husband is free to pursue various illicit affairs, the poor duchess is left to suffer alone. And suffer she does. In fact, her more-or-less constant misery becomes the central theme of the film. Over time, a distinct pattern emerges: 1. Glimmer of hope; 2. Devastating setback; 3. Change wigs; 4. Repeat.

Not that Georgiana doesn't have dalliances of her own. But when she finally opts to consummate her long-simmering romance with Grey (who we are led to believe is the true love of her life, but who comes across as little more than a poncy boy-toy) she pays dearly for it when the duke learns of her indiscretions. Threatened with banishment and estrangement from her children, heartbroken Georgiana agrees to call off the affair and return to her quasi-imprisonment.

Throughout her trials, Georgiana bears it all with a grace and style, not unlike her much-loved descendant Princess Diana. Indeed, the similarities between the two tragic figures are abundant and unmistakable. And the impeccably dressed Knightley wears it well. In fact, she doesn't appear to age at all, despite having supposedly endured a half dozen or so births and miscarriages. Nary a wrinkle can be seen on her face, even as the film draws to a close.

The Duchess seems to exist primarily as an Oscar vehicle for Keira Knightley, but the meatier role belongs to Hayley Atwell, who plays Bess Foster. A mentor of sorts to the young duchess, Bess schools young Georgiana in the realpolitik of English society while shrewdly pursuing her own ambitions, the foremost of which is self-preservation in their stubbornly patriarchal world.

The Duchess is a gorgeous film, packed to the brim with all the trappings of a big-budget period piece. It's the story that's lacking. Compromise and self-preservation may be of utmost importance to 19th-century aristocrats, but they don't necessarily make for great cinema.

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