Review: Victoria & Abdul

"No one really knows what it's like to be queen," Queen Victoria laments. Victoria & Abdul, the latest from director Stephen Frears and starring Judi Dench in her second turn as the indomitable monarch, finds the royal in the winter of her life, having outlived her beloved Albert and her cherished servant John Brown. The self-described "fat, lame, impotent, silly old woman" can only go on and on, surrounded by a sycophantic household and trapped in an endless roundelay of luncheons, banquets, and ceremonies. Is it any wonder that she's roused from her daze by Abdul (Ali Fazal) when he breaks protocol by actually looking her straight in the eyes?

Abdul is a lowly prison clerk who, along with Mohammed (Adeel Akhtar), are assigned to travel from India to England for Queen Victoria's Jubilee Celebration and present her with a ceremonial token. Mohammed is skeptical, grumbling about the weather and having to be in the land of their people's oppressor. Abdul is honoured and excited, finding it all to be an adventure, and his warmth, curiosity and, yes, good looks, endear him to Victoria, who finds both head and heart engaged in life once again as he teaches Urdu and the Koran and introduces her to Indian architecture and cuisine. Yet, as with her relationship with John Brown, the queen's bond with Abdul is frowned upon by not only members of her royal household but those of the government as well. Her appointment of Abdul as her royal advisor is especially worrying and those concerns are further enflamed by the arrival of her son Bertie (Eddie Izzard), who is determined to excise Abdul from his position as the queen's closest confidante.

The film is satisfying enough, but perhaps a touch or two too genteel for its own good. There's simply no bite or complexity to its telling or characterisations, especially with that of Abdul's, who is presented as so goodhearted that to think him otherwise would be churlish. Why not shade the character for audiences to wonder if he was opportunist, guileless friend, or both? Yet, one can also understand the simplicity of the telling if only because it does warm the heart to witness the blossoming bond between Victoria and Abdul, especially in the film's later stages as the monarch's health begins to decline.

As Victoria, Dench is predictably a force to be reckoned with, cantankerous and delighting in her power, her sour countenance melting as she finally finds someone with whom she can relax and be as close to herself as duty will allow.

Victoria & Abdul

Directed by: Stephen Frears

Written by: Lee Hall; based on the book by Shrabani Basu

Starring: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard, Tim Pigott-Smith, Adeel Akhtar, Simon Callow, Michael Gambon, Julian Wadham, Olivia Williams