VICTORIA AND ABDUL

Last time Judi Dench was directed by Stephen Frears, she was nominated for an Oscar.

The film was Philomena.

The last time Judi Dench played Queen Victoria, she was nominated for an Oscar. The film was Mrs. Brown. That was twenty years ago.

Sadly, VICTORIA & ABDUL is not up to the calibre of these preceding films, however there is no denying the technical virtuosity and sheer screen presence of Judi Dench.

Here she plays the Queen as a moribund, morbidly obese monarch obsessed with her bowel movements. Nobody does bedpan as dead pan as Judy!

This supposed true story unfolds thus:

In 1887,Abdul, played by Ali Fazal, a tall Muslim bookkeeper travels from India to present a ceremonial medal as part of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, a task allocated to him merely because he is tall. He is tutored in protocol which he breaks and Queen Victoria is quite amused, beginning an unlikely relationship, reminiscent of the Mr. Brown infatuation. Indeed, the court refers to Abdul as “the brown Brown”.

It is in Scotland that Victoria’s history with John Brown resonates and strengthens her new bond with Abdul. Screenwriter, Lee Hall, observes Glassalt Shiel was Victoria’s remote, private little house where she would retire to be on her own, sometimes with John Brown. After his death, she had avoided going there. But from the diaries found, she took Abdul there. Hall and Frears tap into the resonating romance to the place; they share an appreciation of the glorious landscape. The Queen and Abdul grow closer.

The relationship between Queen and the oriental causes a battle royale within the royal household, pitting the Queen against court and family, especially her eldest son and heir, Bertie, played with monstrous monarchic maniacal menace by Eddie Izzard.

Taking a historical story, ViCTORIA AND ABDUL rather drably explores modern questions of race, religion, power, and ponders them through the prism of Empire and a highly unusual and, frankly, unbelievable friendship.

This film is one of those handsome productions that attract the cream of British luvvies and the cream is certainly rises to the top of this production.

Tim Piggot Smith, in sadly his swansong from the cinema -the film is dedicated to his memory – is exemplary as Sir Henry Ponsonby, Victoria’s long time private secretary. He just about steals the show.

Michael Gambon leads with impressive beard as the Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury and Simon Callow is trotted out as Puccini, to whom Victoria asks, does he like Gilbert and Sullivan?!