The Duke

A retired man living in Newcastle in 1961 is held responsible for the theft of a painting from the national gallery. What he wants is not money but that older people be exempt from the television licence fee. The film builds the theft as a courtroom comedy rather than a crime story; the narrative makes his stubbornness both funny and right, and carries a family grief in the background. The trial section is the best of it. Roger Michell directed, with Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren. It follows real events, and the case drew great attention at the time. Who it's for: those who like English comedy drawn from real events. Who it's not for: viewers wanting tension; this is a warm, slow production.