The best things in life
Review by Vives Anunciacion
Published 10.6.2017 Inquirer Libre, PH
Victoria & Abdul
Directed by Stephen Frears
Based on the biographies by Shrabani Basu
Exclusive in Ayala Cinemas
Rated PG
The best things in life are libre, especially if you have the graces of the queen at your side. Dame Judi Dench reprises her role as Queen Victoria in a comedy that highlights her awesome screen presence. If only the story was written better.
On the occasion of the jubilee of the 50th anniversary of her reign in 1887, Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) is gifted a commemorative gold coin from then-occupied territory India, and two servants, who really should have been just one. The queen immediately takes notice of Abdul (Ali Fazal) – a tall, handsome provincial clerk from Agra who is just much too happy to have been selected to be of service to the queen (and empress of India.) The two establish a deep and loyal friendship that transcended age, stature, color and religion – things that the royal household held against Abdul until the very end of the queen’s rule.
It’s a charming story and occasionally funny, with Dench providing the charm and the inappropriate-isms from Abdul the source of most of the laughs. This is a conceptual sequel to the 1997 drama Mrs. Brown, where Dench played the queen at the time when she developed a relationship with a Scottish servant, John Brown. In Victoria & Abdul, Brown is referenced, with a scene where the queen quips that she misses him (or was that the Prince consort, Albert, I’m not so sure.)
Note that this movie is loosely based on true events – events surrounding the jelly and the mango may not have happened as is, but are funny scenes on their own. The true state of British India, though, cannot be hidden under any modernist inclusion quips from the monarch, as if making the muslim Abdul a member of the household automatically erased the Empire’s abuses in all of its territories.
In particular, Abdul’s foot-kissing character is one-dimensionally written that the character stays naive of the turmoil he has caused. Case in point is a scene where the queen confronts the dissenting household with nary a reaction shot from Abdul, who is seen standing in one corner. Is he ashamed? Proud? What could he have been thinking at that point? There’s no cutaway to an Abdul reaction, the result rather showing Abdul as a completely devout and noble servant, who enjoys the royal attention as a generosity from good people. Lucky guy, or clever opportunist? I’d be happy to tour the queen around the Philippines, though.
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For almost 16 years, I’ve tried reviewing movies in various perspectives, tone and languages with the intention of making the audience understand the different ways of appreciating the most popular form of visual art (the internet is still not under this category yet.) I can only wish I have added something to that consciousness.
This is my final review in the last issue of Inquirer Libre, kahit na hindi ito ang aking huling review. Malamang buhayin ko muli ang aking nanahimik nang blog. Maraming maraming salamat po sa lahat ng sumubaybay sa pahayagang naghatid ng aliw at impormasyon sa mga readers.
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