The gangster movie makes a comeback in Duchess, which stars Charlotte Kirk as the title character—a small-time criminal with a big taste for revenge after someone she loves is brutally murdered. The fast-paced film is a huge project for Kirk, who not only serves as the lead, but co-wrote and produced it alongside Hellboy and Game of Thrones director Neil Marshall. Naturally, that means she has a lot invested in its success now that it’s out for action fans to see.
“Me and Neil had written and produced two films previous to this, The Lair and The Reckoning, which were very, very different kind of films. One was an action sci-fi, and one was a horror movie,” she explained to Fangirlish. “The gangster genre just came up. We were just saying how much we love gangster movies, and we haven’t really seen a really good gangster movie in a long time.
“I was like, Neil, I’ve never seen a gangster movie with a woman boss. I’ve never seen that before…. He latched onto that and was like, I love it,” she continued. “It was definitely conceived that I would be playing the role when we wrote it and [were] developing it. It was one of the most enjoyable scripts that I’ve written. It was just fun. I absolutely loved it.”
Fun is a great word to describe the movie, which tracks Scarlett Monaghan’s growth from a street-level criminal with a rough past into the single-minded and relentless Duchess. Along the way, audiences meet the characters who have shaped Scarlett’s life, from her incarcerated father Frank (portrayed by Star Trek actor Colm Meaney) to the self-described love of her life, Rob (played by Law & Order: SVU alum Philip Winchester).
“One of my favorite scenes is when I visit my dad in prison,” Kirk reflected. “Colm Meaney [is] absolutely legendary. “And that was such an incredible kind of dark, sad scene. It’s kind of closing a chapter between them. She’s really hoping that he’s just going to say okay, I’m sorry, I f**cked up, and he doesn’t. It’s kind of a tragic scene, but it’s also closure for her. So that’s a really beautiful scene.”
“All the cast was absolutely amazing,” she enthused. “Sean Pertwee, Stephanie Beacham, Colm Meaney, Philip Winchester… Philip Winchester, [Sean Pertwee] and Hoji [Fortuna], the three of them together, they’re just awesome. When you see them enter the nightclub, she says they’re like the Three Musketeers, and they were on set. They were just awesome and having so much fun. I think that shows in the film.”
Taking on so many different responsibilities in one movie made Duchess a learning opportunity for Kirk, who told Fangirlish that her co-stars helped her grow during the filming process. “Even though the story is very fun, there’s obviously some very tragic moments in it as well,” she said. “They made me learn to have fun with it, even through the tragic moments. Just have fun with it. Enjoy your character and explore your character and don’t be scared to do that… Especially Philip, he just brought so much good energy, fun energy on set. I think [I was] learning from him to just have fun with it and let go.”
That wasn’t her only accomplishment on the movie, which required her to learn how to box. An early scene in Duchess involves Rob tracking down Scarlett at the gym where she trains, and then there are numerous fights throughout the movie. “I’ve never boxed before in my life!” Kirk said. “That was quite a challenge. I spent a couple of weeks before, working with the stunties. There was one scene in particular that was very tough, where Philip comes to visit me and I’m in the boxing ring. I’m literally having to remember and learn all these boxing moves, and learn and say all this dialogue at the same time.
“That was very important for [this] role, because that comes into play later on, that she uses her skills as a boxer. Using the boxing skills was one of the most memorable and challenging elements of this film.” But from the fight scenes to the verbal sparring with various bad guys, Duchess puts Charlotte Kirk front and center, with plenty to offer anyone who enjoys a no-holds-barred gangster movie.
Duchess is now available digitally on iTunes and other platforms.
