Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Movie Review - Victoria and Abdul

Victoria and Abdul is a British costume drama directed by Stephen Frears. And who better to star as Queen Victoria than Dame Judi Dench?  She’s always so good and indeed commands the screen. We first see her going through lots of dinners and ceremonies for a jubilee celebration. Yawn. She’s bored, old, and tired. Then she perks up. A young humble man (he’s chosen because he is tall) from India (played by Ali Fazal) arrives to present her with a mohur – a ceremonial coin. He dares to look her in the eye and his energy and bearing give her a spark. She commands his presence and eventually gives him the title of Munshi – a teacher. She becomes more interested in India and is keen on learning some language, history, etc.

Slowly, Abdul seems to have too much power over her. Her staff and son (played by Eddie Izzard) conspire to find a fault in Abdul, to find a way to banish him from the court. However, the Queen is feisty and with a twinkle in her eye she does not buckle. She might be short and fat, but she stands tall. The movie is based on old journals found long after Abdul was back in India and died. It’s a unique snippet of history and the movie takes a lot of liberties with the story.

However, for entertainment value, I was amused. I enjoyed Judi Dench’s performance immensely, and Ali Fazal was a worthy foil. Victoria and Abdul is a pleasant way to pass some time and step into a royal setting.


16 comments:

  1. Judi does make an excellent Queen Victoria I do agree. A wonderful review Joanne.
    Enjoy your day.

    Yvonne.

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  2. Hi Joanne - I'll have to catch it later ... and will do - I've seen a couple of interviews with them - and I'm sure the movie does the film justice, but probably not quite 'the entire truth' ... still a good yarn with some wonderful acting and scenery ... cheers Hilary

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    1. indeed, they took liberties for the sake of movie making, but it's entertaining

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  3. Dame Judi Dench seems to have cornered the market in playing Victoria in the same way that Cate Blanchett has done with Elizabeth I. I have to say that I want to see this film now but it didn't appeal much before reading your review. I saw Eddie Izzard doing a stand-up routine in London long before he was famous. It was one of the funniest nights I have known and, coincidentally it was Billy Connolly, another wonderful comedian, who starred opposite Dame Judi in John Brown another 'friend' of Victotia's.
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    1. I think it's fate that you see the film. It's just entertaining and well acted

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  4. Sounds interesting enough for a watch. Not sure I'd put it atop my list though.

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    1. no, but someday on Netflix..worthy of a look

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  5. Judi would probably be an excellent queen. Thanks for your review!

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  6. Have been wondering about this film. Will see it when it hits'Demand'. Thanks for the review. Happy Wednesday!

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    1. glad to help out. Worth the time, nicely filmed

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  7. I haven't heard of this one. It sounds fun and intriguing. Thanks for the review!

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    1. hey - glad you are back. You would absolutely like this one!

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  9. Not sure if my better half would enjoy this one... no car chases, no fight scenes or things going BOOM! so I may have to wait and see this one by myself. :)

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