The ‘magical’ Judi Dench

Film review: Victoria & Abdul

MANILA, Philippines — For those who were around then, 1997’s Mrs. Brown set a benchmark for biographical/historical fiction romance dramas. With Dame Judi Dench (then aged 63), acclaimed for her portrayal of Queen Victoria — in Mrs. Brown, after the death of her Prince Albert, she finds companionship in her husband’s former Scottish servant, John Brown (Billy Connolly). So it is no coincidence that Dame Judi reprises her role as Queen Victoria in Victoria & Abdul; this time taking on that monarch’s twilight years (she reigned for 64 years) and highlighting the friendship that was fostered between her and Muslim Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal) — a young clerk sent from India during the Queen’s Jubilee, to gift her with a specially minted ceremonial coin.

The first half of the film is a pure joy; as director Stephen Frears brilliantly edits and swings us from Abdul’s story and his voyage to England on one hand, and on the other, the stiff pomp and ceremony that surround the Queen in England. Wonderfully, he even withholds our seeing the Queen’s visage. So like Abdul, we are held in anticipation, not knowing what to expect, and stepping into his shoes of not looking the Queen “in the eye” — until we share with him, that fateful moment. It’s a wonderful “tease” that works wonders in upping the charm of the film treatment. The interaction between the two, and how it terribly upsets the balance in the Royal Court are depicted in a way that at the outset, may seem dated or archaic, but in fact, could be just as real today. Prejudices, “oneupmanship,” rivalries and conspiracies are as much a daily occurrence in any political arena today — it’s just the context and how they’re defined that would have changed.

My issue with the film would be that the first half is so delightful in giving us something serious but with a lighthearted touch; that when it suddenly shifts gears to the tragic, the film loses its sparkle as we head down the inevitable path of injustice and dramatic loss. Besides, there are a number of historical inaccuracies — which is readily stated at the onset of the film. Queen Victoria was no progressive, anti-racist monarch and this was more likely about loneliness and finding somebody unique in Abdul. Certainly, much was done right after her death to expunge the controversial friendship from the historical record.

What does remain magical throughout the film is Judi Dench. Now 83, she still has the fire and intensity to turn every scene of hers into a captivating, riveting spectacle. A mere glance, a mere sigh, an arched eyebrow, and without even having to utter a line, she says so very much. She is the “wonder” that makes the film such a pleasure to watch.