Detailing a little-known chapter in the history of the
British monarchy, Stephen Frears’ crowd-pleasing period piece “Victoria &
Abdul” follows the unexpected friendship that blossomed between the aging Queen
Victoria and a young Indian manservant.
Working as a
lowly clerk at a prison in Agra, Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal) is plucked from
obscurity and tasked with traveling 5000 miles to present Her Majesty (Judi
Dench) with a ceremonial coin as a token of his country’s esteem. The handsome
young man catches the Queen’s eye during the formal proceedings, and she finds
herself intrigued enough to request that his stay be extended.
As Victoria
enlists Abdul as her personal servant, their conversations stir an interest in
Indian culture, and she promotes him to be her munshi (teacher), requesting
that he tutor her in Urdu and the Koran. Gradually Abdul rises through the
ranks, raising eyebrows in the aristocracy, baffling her staff, and infuriating
her son Edward (Eddie Izzard).
Having
previously played Victoria two decades ago in John Madden’s “Mrs. Brown,” Dench
delivers a wonderful performance as a much wearier, lonelier version of the
character. But while there’s no doubt Victoria enjoys her new companion and
values his friendship, there’s no sense of how Abdul feels about anything
that’s happening to him. Beyond remarking early on that “life is an
adventure!,” we get precious little insight into who Abdul is as an individual.
A popular star in Bollywood, Fazal has a charming presence, but that lack of
interiority is a major flaw in a character who accounts for half the film’s
title.
“Victoria
& Abdul” is a handsomely mounted production; amusing and occasionally
touching. But it’s hard not to think that the same story told from Karim’s
point of view had the potential to be something much more interesting.
This article appears in Oct 4-10, 2017.
