September
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Victoria and Abdul (2017)
Another impeccable British historical drama with another venerable icon of British cinema. What more can be said? Lots, actually. While Victoria and Abdul (2017) looks like more nostalgic self-indulgence wrapped in sumptuous period settings, it is also a cutting critique of British colonialism, a satire on aristocratic pomposity, but most of all, a bitter-sweet comedic story about the loneliness of being a Queen.
Her Majesty Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) has been monarch for 50 years and her boredom with royal occasions is palpable. Coincidence and luck leads to a lowly clerk Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal) travelling from India to present her with a medal in grateful recognition of British colonial rule. Court etiquette requires that one must never look at the Queen and to retreat backwards after addressing Her Majesty. When presenting the medal, the curious Abdul cannot resist a peep; their eyes meet, and Victoria is instantly charmed by the tall, good-looking Indian who appears so human in contrast to court toadies. She summons Abdul and soon he is her constant companion and mentor, much to the disgust of the racist lackeys who fawn for her favour. The relationship would last 15 years, during which time Victoria learnt about Indian language and customs. She developed a genuine regard for the nation over which she ruled as Empress of India.
While labelled a drama, the treatment is distinctly comedic. Court manners and customs are low-hanging fruit for mockery, and caricatures of court sycophants are all too easy to construct. But the humour masks the deeper layers of the story. Until she met Abdul, Victoria knew nothing of India and shared Britain’s official contempt for the ‘unruly land’ and its ‘ignorant masses’. Imperialism carried a divine right to rule over lesser humans and it was through Abdul’s influence that Victoria developed deeper sympathy for the nation and its problems. The relationship with Abdul is also one of the most liberating experiences of Victoria’s long reign and helped overcome the loneliness of royal isolation in her senior years. Judi Dench portrays this emotional transformation with extraordinary power: no living actress can match her imperious gaze. Her face has become more transparently expressive over her long career and even a miniscule raising of an eyebrow can speak volumes. The new spring in an old lady’s step, the twinkle in her eyes, the firming of her voice, all tell of the universal pleasures of connecting with another human, irrespective of any age divide. While Ali Fazal shares star billing, his aura is inevitably overshadowed by Dench. His greatest contribution to the film is being able to portray ambivalence between being just another sycophant or an innocent with genuine fondness for the Queen.
Historians will no doubt finds things to dispute and that is their job. As cinema, however, this is as good as historical dramas get. The script has a contemporary feel that makes the dialogue relevant to many of the racial issues we face today. The filming alone makes the movie worth seeing, offering a delightful tour of grand palaces and glimpses of courtly life in 19th Century England. While the British have made many such films, it’s hard not to enjoy Victoria and Abdul.
Director: Stephen Frears
Stars: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Michael Gambon, Olivia Willams
CineMuseFilms 
Well that is interesting. I had been wondering about whether to see this film, and actually had a chance to go today, which I passed up. Might need to catch up after all. I note all our local cinemas as of today have switched the scheduling in line with the imminent school holidays, so there is not a lot else for the (over) thinking adult to view for the next couple of weeks 🙂
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I will be very surprised if you do not enjoy this one Gwen, over-thinker or not.
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We have a little cinema on-site here and they screened Victoria & Abdul tonight – a rare treat to get such a recent release. I enjoyed it immensely. Judi Dench “owns” the role of Queen Victoria. I too felt sorry for Mohammed and of course Abdul’s sincerity is underlain with the desire to better himself. But as the film makes clear, it was the same for all the other toadies.
Now, in order to maintain my reputation as an over-thinker 🙂
1.
I loved the little touch where Bertie lingers a fraction too long at the chair his mother vacates (where she does her official business), and then shortly after her death relishes spreading himself out there. I guess when the monarchy hands over, there is no such thing as “would you jump in my grave as quickly?”
2.
I didn’t get why, of all the grandsons, it was the Kaiser who was summoned to Victoria’s deathbed. So, although I realise the film is not historically accurate, I felt compelled to fact check that. It seems ALL the grandchildren were summoned. The Kaiser, who reputedly considered himself her favourite, “rushed” there, and later claimed she died in his arms. Given he only had one good one . . . ? But it does seem fact that he helped lift her into the coffin.
Of course, the thing about “true” history is, we never know whose version to believe 🙂
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Over-thinkers over-populate the film critic community, and so it must be. Thank you for such interesting observations Gwen. Glad you liked this wonderful film.
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Saw the trailer last week, and it looked delightful. Working on a review of “Viceroy House” now. Ah! The Brits.
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This is your kind of film Christine. I’m betting you enjoyed Viceroy House too.
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Great review! V & A is a gentle respite from bone jarring action movie fare. It elicited audible emotional reactions from the local cinema palace audience. They loved this film.
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I like your “gentle respite from bone jarring action movie fare” Sophie.
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Such a great review. Historical drama used to be my favorite genre, and I do love Judy Dench. But reading about this one the first time, I felt there will be nothing new. But your review makes me rethink that, and think I would most likely really enjoy it!
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I’m sure you are right. I walked into this one kinda knowing that its another brilliant Brit pic, but that didnt stop me really enjoying it and admiring it as historical drama.
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I’m looking forward to watching this one. Thanks for the fine review.
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Nice to hear from you Candy.
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The problem I had with this one? Abdul seems to really be having one hell of a good time being Victoria’s buddy while ignoring his (supposed) best friend Mohammad’s desire to return home. And if he wanted to go home so badly then why didn’t Abdul just ask the Queen to send him home? Abdul seems to be getting a kick out of Mohammad being his servant just a little too much for my taste.
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I felt the same way while watching this. Did not make sense at all.
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I just watched this one this evening! What a delight. Dench is supremely imperious. I’m glad you unpacked the deeper layers of this film. I think it would be a good discussion film. At times I really wondered about Abdul’s sincerity. But in the end…
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I’m glad you like it, although that does not surprise. I think we are deliberately made to doubt Abdul’s sincerity before realising that he could be self-serving as well as a devoted servant.
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