Films, News, Trailers

Trailer Watch: The Queen Rediscovers Her Love of Life in “Victoria & Abdul”

“Victoria & Abdul”

The trailer for “Victoria & Abdul” sees Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) tired of her royal duties and her life. She falls asleep at extravagant state dinners. She’s uninterested in the Prime Minister (Michael Gambon) and his “terribly depressing” briefings. And she sounds more weary than proud when she rattles off her accomplishments: “I’m 81 years of age and have almost a billion citizens. I’ve been in office 62 years, making me the longest-serving monarch in history.”

As Queen Victoria tells her servant turned new friend and confidant, Abdul (Ali Fazal), she doesn’t feel she has a purpose anymore. “No one really knows what it’s like to be queen,” she tearfully confesses. “Everyone I love has died and I just go on and on. What is the point?”

Luckily, the queen’s outlook seems to change as her trust in Abdul grows and their friendship deepens. Abdul — who comes to England from India to present the queen with a special coin and ends up staying on as her personal servant — introduces Queen Victoria to new languages, food, and culture. Soon enough, the monarch rediscovers her passion as a ruler. When her son questions her mental state and threatens to usurp the throne, the queen is back to her usual fiery self. “I am cantankerous, greedy, fat,” she emphasizes. “I am, perhaps, disagreeably attached to power. But I am anything but insane.”

“Victoria & Abdul” sees Dench reuniting with her “Philomena” and “Mrs. Henderson Presents” director Stephen Frears. The Oscar winner previously portrayed Queen Victoria in 1997’s “Mrs. Brown.” The John Madden pic saw Dench playing the monarch as a newly bereaved widow. Similar to “Victoria & Abdul,” the film depicted how a new friendship, with John Brown (Billy Connolly) in that case, helped alleviate her depression and get back to her job.

“Victoria & Abdul” hits theaters September 22.

Trailer Watch: Trace Lysette Confronts Her Painful Past with Patricia Clarkson in “Monica”

Trace Lysette returns home to care for her dying mother in “Monica.” A new trailer for the Venice Film Festival title introduces us to Monica (Lysette, “Transparent), a trans woman...

Teaser Watch: Mel Eslyn Tells the Story of the Last Men on Earth in “Biosphere”

“Everything is feeling a bit unbelievable,” says Sterling K. Brown in a new teaser for “Biosphere,” Mel Eslyn’s feature debut. Set in the not-too-distant future, the...

Trailer Watch: “Little Richard: I Am Everything” Explores the Complex Legacy of a Musical Genius

“Little Richard: I Am Everything” pays tribute to the OG rock ‘n roll icon. “He spit on every rule there was in music,” we’re told in a new trailer for the...

Posts Search

Publishing Dates
Start date
- select start date -
End date
- select end date -
Category
News
Films
Interviews
Features
Trailers
Festivals
Television
RESET