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Victoria And Abdul (2017)Director: Stephen Frears
Writers: Lee Hall (screenplay), Shrabani Basu (book)
Cast: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Tim Pigott-Smith
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
About: Set in 1887, the elderly Queen Victoria and her unlikely friendship/infatuation with a much younger clerk from India, Abdul Karim. Initially Abdul travels to England to present a small gold coin medallion from India to the Queen for her Silver Jubilee. Much to everyone's surprise the Queen takes a real shining to Abdul and makes him her personal spiritual teacher a Munshi.
Judi Dench made a good, older Queen Victoria, she was quite cranky which I could image the real Queen was like in her later years. This is based on a true story and one that was not well known until a journalist visited the Queen's summer home in 2003 and uncovered some writings by the Queen that told of this unique relationship that proved to be very scandalous in it's time.
This 2017 British movie is done as a biographical comedy-drama, so the general feeling is light, which I found enjoyable as it fit the film's motif. It was certainly beautiful filmed with gorgeous sets and costumes, just a joy to look at. The actor who played Abdul (Ali Fazal) did a fine job of not over playing it which easily could have been a problem. I liked him, and Judi Dench too.
Truth it seems is indeed stranger than fiction.
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Victoria And Abdul (2017)
Writers: Lee Hall (screenplay), Shrabani Basu (book)
Cast: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Tim Pigott-Smith
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
About: Set in 1887, the elderly Queen Victoria and her unlikely friendship/infatuation with a much younger clerk from India, Abdul Karim. Initially Abdul travels to England to present a small gold coin medallion from India to the Queen for her Silver Jubilee. Much to everyone's surprise the Queen takes a real shining to Abdul and makes him her personal spiritual teacher a Munshi.
Judi Dench made a good, older Queen Victoria, she was quite cranky which I could image the real Queen was like in her later years. This is based on a true story and one that was not well known until a journalist visited the Queen's summer home in 2003 and uncovered some writings by the Queen that told of this unique relationship that proved to be very scandalous in it's time.
This 2017 British movie is done as a biographical comedy-drama, so the general feeling is light, which I found enjoyable as it fit the film's motif. It was certainly beautiful filmed with gorgeous sets and costumes, just a joy to look at. The actor who played Abdul (Ali Fazal) did a fine job of not over playing it which easily could have been a problem. I liked him, and Judi Dench too.
Truth it seems is indeed stranger than fiction.
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