VICTORIA AND ABDUL

A must-see movie, Victoria and Abdul is simply a delight to watch.

The film focuses on the beautiful friendship that develops between the monarch and a poor young clerk who is sent from India to present Queen Victoria with a valuable coin for her Golden Jubilee.

Judy Dench most certainly presents a formidable portrayal of Queen Victoria, whose stern face watches in disdain over her many servants and assistants.

Abdul manages to cut through her icy exterior to find a woman who is very lonely, and brings joy back into her life by teaching her about the outside world, its beauty and languages.

Ali Fazal is superb as the young clerk Abdul, bringing to the audience a gentle humour and warmth.

Viewers leave the cinema feeling that they have been transported back to the days of opulence and plenty, seen through the eyes of a lowly clerk who left his mark in history.