Neil Welch
Abdul Karim and a colleague are imported from India to make a presentation to Queen Victoria. Long after Prince Albert and her friend John Brown died, the Queen is old, tired, depressed and bored, and the introduction of the Indian piques her interest: he becomes a Court favourite to the consternation and annoyance of her Head of Household, the Prime Minster, and her son and first in line for the throne. The film tells of their relationship and the background politicking against Karim up to Victoria's death and Karim's return to India.This film is, in many ways, a sequel to Mrs Brown, Judi Dench's 1997 first entry as Queen Victoria and, in some respects, treads similar ground as regards a friendship regarded by some as "inappropriate." This one is quite funny - the audience was frequently chuckling.The script is good and the cast are excellent with, of course Dench on particularly good form as the aged monarch. The story is true - "mostly", as it says at the start - and, if so, the behaviour of certain individuals after Victoria's death is reprehensible.Showings at my local (Isle of Wight) cinema were packed, what with location filming taking place at Victoria's holiday hideaway at Osborne House on the Island, and reactions from the mostly elderly audience were very positive. And I enjoyed it very much despite it not being my type of film.
michael-young-585
Judi Dench runs away with this movie. In fact, she hits the ball so far out of the pack, that the rest of the actors are left with little more than eating dust. It seems that I enjoy her performance in every movie I've seen her in, whether its strong British characters (in movies like the James Bond Skyfall, or as Queen Victoria in this movie) or introspective people with pasts to reconcile (as in Philomena, or The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). She seems to personify the older British woman, bound by tradition, but bursting with inner feelings. Although nominated for acting Oscars seven times, she won only once, for a supporting role in Shakespeare in Love in 1999.Why she wasn't nominated for this movie, I don't know. I haven't seen any of the other female-actress-nominated movies, but find it difficult to imagine superior performances. Instead, it was nominated in two, below-the-line, categories - Costumes, and Makeup. And I have to confess, up-front, that I have some difficulty with these two categories. My complaints center around the fact that these nominees almost always play on the overly conservative side of things. Instead of rewarding the creativity that comes with designing clothing for major science fiction and fantasy movies, like Star Trek or Guardians of the Galaxy, the nominees in these categories tend to the period piece movies, or as is the case too frequently with the Makeup and Hairstyling category, with movies that are simply insults to the intelligence of the average viewer (I think specifically of the 100 Year Old Man Who.... from a couple years ago where the 'makeup' centered largely around a scrotum and testicles that hung so low they nearly dragged on the floor.)The makeup in this movie isn't that disgusting, and the wigs and facial makeup for, especially, the members of the British royal family, are convincingly done and add to the fun of the movie. And the costumes are all perfectly appropriate for the Victorian age. So I suppose the movie deserves the spotlight in those two categories, although it didn't win an Oscar in either.Victoria & Abdul is the story, 'mostly' based on fact, of the friendship that develops between Queen Victoria and a Muslim from India. As unlikely as that sounds, it apparently occurred in the few years before her death and caused quite a scandal within the royal family as the influence of a Muslim wasn't considered at all appropriate in Britain at that time (or now either?). The movie starts as a sort of comedy with the juxtaposition of the Queen's highly formal lifestyle with the care-free life of a low-level prison clerk from India. The improbable circumstances of how he meets the queen, are definitely the stuff of situation comedy. And Dench's remarkably adept portrayal of the banalities of queenly formalism is the straight-man to Abdul's devilish grin and refusal to obey even the simple rule of 'Don't look at the Queen!' But he does look at the queen, and her eyes catch his. In the next moment the delightfully droll octogenarian is commenting about how handsome he is and arranges to have him become more involved, platonically, with her. Eventually, he becomes her "munshee" which is sort of a Muslim spiritual teacher. In addition to teaching her Urdu and basics of the Koran, he succeeds in bringing out her spirit and enriches her final days. All of this occurs while the Queen's family and staff remain quite properly aghast at what is a consuming scandal.The comedic aspect of this movie, however, can't be sustained and I don't think the transition to the real drama of the relationship succeeds very well. Part of that might be the writing. Lee Hall wrote the screenplay based on a book by Shrabani Bass. Hall was nominated previously for his adapted screenplay of Billy Elliott, but I don't recognize any of his other credits. And the director, Stephen Frears, was nominated for The Queen in 2008, and The Grifters in 1991, and also directed Philomena, Dangerous Liasons, and Dirty Pretty Things. Unfortunately, this movie does not live up to some of his better work.The reason, I suspect, is that, like so many movies with just one or two nominations, this movie lacks balance. Ok, the costumes and makeup is terrific, and Judi Dench is nearly outstanding, but that's about all this movie has to offer. It would have helped, I think, if Ms. Dench had a better actor to work with her. Abdul is played by Ali Fazal, who is best known for a smaller role in Furious 7 and roles in Bollywood movies and television, but no real presence on Western screens. That he is tall and good looking is a given, but he is not a tier 1 actor. As a result, his interactions with Dench appear stiff at times and contrived. Frequently it is difficult to tell whether he is trying, maybe a little too hard, to be funny or is expressing a more serious moment. Dench deserves a stronger partner.Although far from a perfect movie, it is still fun to watch. Judi Dench's performance is worth the time, and, especially in today's age of religious and ethnic prejudices, it is encouraging to see a story like this one which at least attempts to portray the power and significance of human relationships. The Queen does die a happier woman because of Abdul.Recommended for Dench's acting, costumes and makeup, and a lighthearted, warming story.
evanston_dad
A very nice but very dull movie about Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) and a friendship she strikes up with a visiting Indian servant.This is the kind of movie that you can walk out on for long periods of time, come back to, and still know exactly what's happening because everything is geared to being as unchallenging and transparent as possible. If you're terrified of having a thought of your own during a movie, this is the one for you. Dench is cranky and regal, the Indian servant is refreshingly articulate and human (but wait, aren't all Indians supposed to be savages?!!), and the British aristocracy are presented not just as jerks but as bumbling foolish jerks. We know who the bad English people are because they smirk directly into the camera and practically twirl their silent movie villain mustaches. At one point, after talking about traditional English cuisine, one Indian leans into another and proclaims the English to be savages for eating things like blood pudding. Get it? Because English people think Indians are savages, and now the Indians think the English are savages. Isn't that funny?!!"Victoria and Abdul" is the kind of movie the Academy turns to when they need a fifth one to fill out their costume design category. Grade: C
