Film Snail

6.9

Victoria & Abdul

PG-13·2017·112m

Drama

History

Drama

History

Summary

Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim.

Cast

Judi Dench

Queen Victoria

Ali Fazal

Abdul Karim

Tim Pigott-Smith

Sir Henry Ponsonby

Eddie Izzard

Bertie, Prince of Wales

Adeel Akhtar

Mohammed

Michael Gambon

Lord Salisbury

Paul Higgins

Dr. James Reid

Olivia Williams

Baroness Churchill

Fenella Woolgar

Miss Phipps

Julian Wadham

Alick Yorke

Jonathan Harden

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Robin Soans

Arthur Bigge

Ruth McCabe

Mrs. Tuck

Simon Callow

Mr. Puccini

Benjamin Haigh

Page Boy

Will Christopherson

Young Porter Boy

Martyn Mayger

Yeoman of the Guard

Deano Bugatti

Queen Victoria's Waiter

Penny Ryder

Grand Duchess Sophie

Christopher McMullen

Footman

Rita McDonald Damper

Ham House Guest

Sukh Ojla

Mrs. Karim

Grant Crookes

Footman

Shaun Newnham

Royal Household Staff

Nigel Black

Private Secretary

Sophie Trott

Princess Helena

Andrei Csolsim

Footman

Glyn Angell

Young Chef

Lois Temel

Nurse

Marek Hollands

Footman

Nicolas Savidis-Macris

Italian Dinner Guest

Simon Craddock

Footman

Tim Bristow

Deputy Parliamentary Secretary

Cliff Dutton

Footman

Martin McGilligan

Footman

Benjamin Murrell

Footman

Daniel Trevenna

Footman

Stuart Whelan

Chef (uncredited)

Sam Kenyon

Puccini Pianist

Crew

Director

Stephen Frears

Book

Shrabani Basu

Screenplay

Lee Hall

Reviews

narrator56

April 3, 2020

I wouldn't say this is a memorable historical film, but it was interesting and entertaining enough to hold my attention. I researched the background a little bit, and I am not sure why they made some of their changes to how the unlikely friendship actually transpired. I assume it was to simplify the story.

And as it happens, It is surprising that the story has gotten told at all. Apparently extreme measures undertaken by the royals after to obliterate any record of the unlikely friendship after Queen Victoria's death. anyone who has read about the history of British monarchs will recognize this attempt to control the narrative of the royals as they guard the parameters of the succession.

But it is worth a watch regardless about exactly how accurate the details are. History is written by the ones in control, and this is a cool exception.