After Prince Albert’s death, Queen Victoria shut herself completely from the world. Leaving London and her royal duties, she seeks refuge in Osborne House (the royal family summer house) in the isle of Wright. Dressed in heavy black clothes, she took pleasure in nothing and actually didn’t allow any feisty behaviors in her household.
John Brown, a servant who worked at Balmoral who had struck a friendship with the prince during the last year of his life, was asked to come to the queen’s residence expecting his presence would provoke an emotional awakening.
Victoria refuses any public appearances and even leaving her apartments was something unusual. Brown stubbornly convinces her to get out of the palace and take some fresh air and even ridding her favorite horse. He becomes her personal servant and slowly, his influence over the queen grows… He treats Victoria like he would address a normal woman, without the usual deference and stiff protocol she was used to. It’s a joy to see her changing from a sorrowful widow to the woman she was before her husband died. Brown’s influence starts to displease many of her entourage and even her People start calling her Mrs. Brown, alluding to an improper relationship between them. Her long absence from London does not help the situation…
The entire cast of this movie is perfect. Everyone seems just in the right place and giving their best. Judi Dench is an
amazing Victoria (as she is in any other role)! Her regal attitude is natural, she’s reserved and formal but not without an occasional spark of humor. She has no physical resemblance with the queen, and yet she effortlessly becomes her. For this role, Judi Dench was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe and wins the BAFTA for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. It’s not surprising after seeing how powerfully she played the role of the queen.
Billy Connolly’s Mr. John Brown is a very passionate man. He does a great job portraying such an ambiguous persona. While caring for Victoria’s well being and happiness, it’s clear he is also very ambitious and intends to climb up all the stairs as fast as he can to reach to the top. We love him for making the queen smile and bringing her to life, but his blunt ways and relentless quest for power sometimes drive us away from him. His suffering towards the end is never over the top and easily touched us.
Mrs. Brown is a fair accounting of Victoria’s and John Brown’s relationship and remains our favorite movie about this sovereign.
A little note here for all Gerard Butler’s fans, you can see him here as the young brother of Brown. We almost didn’t recognize him but the voice was unmistakable.
Highly recommended!
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119280/
Judi Dench is an incredible actress, so hats off to her – and I completely agree, what an amazing Victoria she makes. And Gerard Butler? Well….I must confess he’s just ruggedly good looking, and so that’s what I look forward to when I see his movies.
LOVE this movie! I also like the image in the video clip of how he stood patiently each day waiting for her to ride her horse. I wouldn’t have recognized Gerard Butler either but the performances of Judy and Billy are so powerful!