Victoria & Abdul
Film
Review by Kam Williams
Brit Biopic Chronicles Unlikely Friendship Forged between Queen Mum and Muslim Manservant
In
1887, 24 year-old Abdul Karim (Ali
Fazal) moved from India to England where he found work as a waiter at
Queen Victoria's (Judi Dench) Golden Jubilee. Soon after starting at
Windsor Castle, he caught the eye of the lonely
monarch.
In
fact, she was so taken with her Muslim manservant that she made him
her constant companion and promoted him to "munshi," Urdu
for teacher. Not surprisingly, this development didn't sit well with
the royal court, especially her son, Bertie (Eddie Izzard). The heir
apparent was not only suspicious of the exotic interloper's
intentions but concerned about the optics of his widowed mum always
having a strapping young Muslim at her side.
However,
Victoria brushed aside any objections as racial prejudice, and kept
Abdul as her trusted confidant until she passed away in 1901. Based
on Shrabani Basu's best seller of the same, Victoria & Abdul
chronicles the unlikely friendship forged between her majesty and a
doting, devoted subject. Directed by two-time,
Oscar-nominee Stephen Frears (for The Queen and The Grifters), this
"mostly true tale" revisits the relationship as a dramedy
whose comedic elements work far better than its dramatic ones.
Dame
Judi Dench, who won an Academy award for playing Queen Elizabeth, is
again at her best, here, as an imperious, if vulnerable, Queen Mum.
She basically plays an empathetic visionary adrift in a sea of
intolerance swarming with British bigots too blinded by hate to begin
to appreciate a mild-mannered foreigner with strange customs.
The
picture's transparent message about brotherhood is delivered in too
heavy-handed a fashion to take seriously. Nevertheless, the movie's
lighter moments generate just enough laughs to make the movie worth
the investment.
A
syrupy sweet reminiscence of an enduring, platonic fellowship forged
across generational, color, class, cultural and religious lines.
Very
Good (2.5 stars)
Rated PG-13
for profanity and mature themes
Production Studio: BBC Films / Working Title Films / Perfect World Pictures
Distributor: Focus Features
To see a trailer for Victoria & Abdul, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT2Ph_9bGPs
No comments:
Post a Comment