Victoria & Abdul

The portrayal of an unlikely yet real-life friendship between the British Queen Victoria and an Indian muslim servant Abdul Karim during her final years, this 2017 Stephen Frears film shows the beauty of friendship and the ugliness of racialist prejudice and greed for power, seen in the beautiful performances of the cast, esp. Judi Dench.

The story showcases a friendship that was ahead of its time - unbiased, transcends generational, religious and cultural differences. Victoria and Abdul shares the idea of openness and kindness in friendships where an age difference is not a hindrance, rather the focus is on curiosity, appreciation and acceptance. Although some aspects of the movie may have been fictionalised to enhance the story, the emotional roller coaster and sparks of comedy is on point.

You cant ask for anything more in a movie. True story (mostly), touching and actually hilarious. Brilliantly written and the costumes / sets are incredibly. And then there is Judy Dench....enough said.

Judi Dench is clearly one of the best actors of our time and has been able to play these roles with such grace and talent. Great story the costume was good! and the gravataze of it all really brought it home for me

I really enjoyed this film, with Judi Dench playing the titular queen, being very self assured and deciding to do things that surprise and astound other members of the royal household staff, much to my amusement. Meanwhile, Ali Fazal plays Abdul - someone who seems rather humble and initially is less than impressed at the prospect of having to travel, to present the queen with a coin at an official ceremony. I thought it was charming how the friendship between the two of them developed, seeing the curiosity and interest in the queen towards learning more about Abduls culture, the food and teachings of India etc. There is some pretty good cinematography, with various landscape panoramas shown during the characters travels, both within and outwith the UK. The pure lavishness of their surroundings is something to see, if nothing else. Cast wise, I also liked Eddie Izzard, who plays Bertie, Prince of Wales - he doesn't think a great deal of the new found friendship Victoria finds. I also found it amusing when Puccini (played by Simon Callow) was present. I believe this film is based on a true story, which made it all the more interesting to me and I know I really enjoyed another similar film, which also stars Judi Dench as Queen Victoria. A film called Mrs Brown, in which Billy Connolly plays John Brown. Coincidentally, Brown is referenced in this film. I do think Judi Dench does do particularly well at portraying the forthright queen. Of course there is undoubtedly a racist element, with the indian colonisation side of things - there are some cringe-y moments with members of royal household staff making some very unfair judgements and rude comments, somewhat unsurprisingly given the circumstances of the plot. Watching it, I felt more keen on queen Victoria for how she responded - I'll say no more so as not to provide any spoilers. I would very much recommend this film as a period drama which is based on a true story, yes.

The greatest 01 hour: and 50 minutes based on a real person!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Starring Judy Dench as Queen Victoria!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Victoria & Abdul (2017) directed by Stephen Frears stars Dame Judi Dench and Ali Fazal in the starring roles. The film re-unites Dench with the role of Queen Victoria which she played in the film Mrs. Brown which dealt with her controversial relationship with a Scottish servant John Brown. Victoria & Abdul, a lavish period piece, dramatizes another of her relationships. It is based on the book Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen's Closest Confident by Shrabani Basu. The book forms the basis for the film and the film is based mostly on real events. Baroness Churchill, lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, played by the fabulous Olivia Williams, sums it up aptly when she calls Abdul Karim, the dark John Brown. The film is a lavish period piece dripping with pomp and circumstance, intrigue and suspense set at the height of Victoria's rule, but it is a comedy drama too. Dame Dench gives another Oscar worthy performance as the enduring British sovereign, bereaved widow, mother of nine children, and grandmother of 42 grand-children. Her performance is nuanced, complex and multi-faceted rendering a sympathetic and relatable Victoria, and Dench is marvelous to watch. The film dramatizes her relationship with her Indian servant Abdul Karim who quickly becomes her favorite, confident and teacher. The insulting, spiteful and underhanded treatment Abdul experiences and endures at the hands of palace courtiers, politicians and members of the royal family weaves itself throughout the narrative serving as the dramatic tension that carries the film. Victoria is not immune to the backlash either. Although the court considers his presence an affront and breach of protocol, their effrontery fails to make her cut her ties with her Munshi. Ali Fazal as Abdul Karim is marvelous to watch in his role. His charisma, handsomeness and masculinity light up the screen. Mohammed played by Adeel Akhtar provides comic relief and a second sober thought on the events as they unfold. Simon Callow as Mr. Puccini is a hoot. You'll like Victoria & Abdul not only for the brilliant acting but for the cinematography and the lavish period sets and costumes. The beauty and light of the Tuscan landscape, the Scottish landscape, and the Taj Mahal are beautifully photographed and bring a complexity and richness to the film. Be forewarned that the film contains blatant racism, and some may find the scene when Abdul kisses Victoria's feet objectionable but it provides a context to understanding their relationship. The touching of feet of one's elders or social superiors is an ancient Indian tradition demonstrating respect and submission and a way of seeking blessings from one's elder, teacher and/or superior. And Abdul did receive her blessings in spades. He became an important person in her life and she treated him well bestowing on him her confidence, affection, riches and privilege much to the chagrin of the court, her household, and members of her family. I love period pieces for they allow me to escape into a world beyond my social and cultural experiences, and Victoria & Abdul did that for me. Dench's performance stretched my imagination to reconsider Queen Victoria in a new light. It's self-evident that their relationship was unequal in stature. She was Empress of India and he was her subject. She was his master and he was her servant. Yet, their relationship transcended boundaries of class, status, age, gender and race. Victoria and Abdul is a gem of a film, well-written, well-acted and gorgeously shot. Do see it!

the movie started out well with its first 30 minutes up until the first time jump which completly ruins everything we accomplished before the jump which is sad because the relationship and chemistry was truly beautiful!!

I thought it was an entertaining and true story about the Queen of England and a young man from India who brought some joy into her dull and dreary life that was full of royal routines & formalities with little enjoyment.

An okay costume drama about a little-known friendship of Queen Victoria's.