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Wednesday, April 17, 2024
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HOLLYWOOD VICTORIA AND ABDUL
EDITOR'S PICK
'Victoria and Abdul': Intriguing and odd (Review By Troy Ribeiro;
Rating: **1/2)
Stephen Frears' "Victoria and Abdul', is a witty telling of the unlikely bond
between the aged Queen Victoria of England, the Empress of India, and a
commoner, Abdul Karim, whom she appoints as her Urdu teacher and whom she fondly
addresses as "Munshia.
Based on "mostly" true facts, the film is drawn from the book penned by Sharbani
Basu, which was inspired by volumes of the queen's handwritten notes in Urdu and
by the discovery of Abdul Karim's journals in 2010.
Charm and curiosity propels this narrative. The lead pair -- Judi Dench as Queen
Victoria and Ali Fazal as Abdul Karim -- are charming and their relationship is
definitely intriguing.
The tale begins in Agra in 1887, where local British officials to honour their
Queen decide to send an Indian functionary to Britain to present her with a
"Mohur" a ceremonial gold coin. Knowing her penchant for tall men, two local
civil servants are selected. One of them is Abdul Karim.
How Abdul catches the Queen's fancy, forges a bond with her and upsets the royal
sycophants of Victoria's Son Bertie, The Prince of Wales - heir of the royal
throne, forms the crux of this tale.
The screenplay written by Frears and Lee Hall is dubiously wobbly as it shift
gears from moody to comedy to drama. While the premise is interesting, it is
Frears' light-hearted treatment of the narrative that disappoints. The
disdainful manner in which the queen is initially presented, the cheap gags
about the Queen's bowel movements, the lack of medal-bearing trays at Windsor
Castle all add to the disillusionment.
Also the tone and taste of few dialogues are not in congruence with the time and
characters of that era.
But it is how Abdul makes his favourable first impression to the Queen by
ignoring the instructions of royal etiquette, his failure to disclose his
marital status, his religion, and health issues that cause ripples in the
evolving friendship and the vocal objections of the Queen's staff are few
moments that make the film worthwhile.
With his expressive eyes, coy smile and heart-throb looks, Ali Fazal as Abdul
Karim is exceptional. He portrays his part sincerely, but his character is
flatly one-dimensional.
Judi Dench in widow's weeds as Queen Victoria is brilliant. She portrays the
grace and earthy scorn of her complex character effortlessly. It is delightful
to see her character change from a dreary old lady to a buoyant giddy-headed
figurehead with girlish charm.
The duo are supported by; Tim Pigott Smith as Henry Pinseberry the head of the
Royal household, Michael Gambon as the Prime Minister, reciting a litany of
downbeat news to the Queen, Eddie Izzard with his gruff beard and indignant
eye-brows as Bertie; all behave in a brusque high-handed manner as if
participating in a spoof.
On the technical front, Alan Macdonald's production design and Consolata Boyle's
costumes give a fair representation of the period which are astutely captured by
Cinematographer Cohen's camera work. But with some moody, some shaky and some
brilliant shots he offers a mixed bag of visuals and Thomas Newman's music
subtly enhances the viewing experience.
Overall, "Victoria and Abdul" offers mixed reactions. It is pleasantly sweet but
annoyingly off-putting.
Indian actor Ali Fazal looked dapper as he stepped out in a tuxedo for the world premiere of his film "Victoria and Abdul" at the Venice International Film Festival here with legendary actress Judi Dench. Read More
Ali Fazal slays it with Judi Dench in 'Victoria & Abdul' trailerThe "Victoria & Abdul" trailer features two actors representing a culturally, socially and economically imbalanced relationship. And when those two actors are the formidable Judi Dench and the relatively raw Ali Fazal, the chasm between the have and have-not, becomes more non-negotiable.Read More
