FILM OF THE MONTH
VICTORIA AND ABDUL
Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard, Simon Callow, Michael Gambon
• Twenty years after nabbing an Oscar nomination for imperiously playing Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown, Judi Dench is back in the monarch’s roomy skirts and tiny crown. And she’s every bit as regal as you’d expect, portraying both Victoria’s sharp hauteur and her occasional glimmer of softness as the monarch enters her winter years. Stephen Frears’ gentle film pasess mostly in the thrall of Dench’s presence, although focusing on Victoria’s contentious friendship with Indian attendant Abdul Karim (thoughtfully played by Bollywood star Fazal) at least gives matters some fresh perspective — cautiously exposing faultlines of prejudice in the palace. It’s hardly revolutionary within a lavishly costumed royal spectacle, but it’s high time Karim’s story received…
You're reading a preview of
Attitude (Digital) - 1 Issue, October 2017