"The Duke" is a genial retelling of the true story of Kempton Bunton (Jim Broadbent), who in 1961, was tried for the crime of stealing a Goya painting of the Duke of Wellington, valued at £140,000, from the National Gallery in London. Although director Roger Michell's ("Notting Hill") film does depict the theft twice, it is not really a caper; rather, this comedic drama is a genteel character study of a man from Newcastle who rallies against social injustice and for the greater good.
Kempton is first seen rebelling against having to pay for a license for his TV because it airs the BBC. (He actually removes the appropriate coil from the set to make the station unavailable.) But that does not appease — or engender much goodwill — with the authorities who put him in jail for 13 days. But Kempton continues to wage his campaign, "Free TV for the OAP," emphasizing that pensioners should not have to pay for television. He believes it is often a way for them to stave off loneliness.
