BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Ginger Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

webber-george The promotional material that was released for this film including the descriptions that appear on the box to me bear no resemblance to the film itself. Queen Victoria is suffering from terrible grief after the loss of her husband and the film is about her loyal friendship with Mr Brown. Why they describe it any other way I cannot fathom, perhaps only because they think it will sell more copies (but disappoint more people at the same time). Both Dame Judy Dench and Billy Connelly CBE both play outstanding parts in this film. Both characters are complex and have deep emotion which both stars pull off exquisitely. Anthony Sher is also excellent and with such amazing makeup can actually be confused for Benjamin Disraeli. This film is about real people and these real people have real emotions and that's what this film is about. I only mark it down because of the incorrect labelling of the film by the marketing people.

bkoganbing If you are expecting this film to be a romance than skip it. It is about the extraordinary man with the ordinary name of John Brown who brought a Queen out of mourning. Not that a whole lot of gossip about Queen Victoria and her Scot's highland servant Brown wasn't bandied about in their day. That's the way it is in court politics, then and now.Judi Dench is the Queen who when this story begins was getting the unflattering nickname of the widow of Windsor. By the merest of chance in these royal arranged marriages it was arranged she should marry a cousin, Albert of Saxe-Coburg Gotha. She and Prince Albert had a good score of married years with several children. They were so happy that when Prince Albert died of typhoid fever in late 1861, Victoria went into a really lengthy mourning period beyond all normal parameters. The woman would have needed grief counseling had it been available back in her day. She shut herself up in Balmoral Castle in Scotland and made no public appearances. Nor would she allow any of her children to substitute for her, particularly the Prince of Wales. With that kind of mentality operating, a whole lot of people questioned the need even for a monarchy.Into her life comes John Brown, brother one of the household help already at Balmoral and hired to tend the Queen's horses. Billy Connolly plays the rough spoken Brown who somehow even through his tough highland talk, endears himself to his Queen with his common sense and total concern for her well being. Gaining the position he does in the Victorian household, Brown makes many enemies who try to bring him down. The period of the film covers when he arrives in the Queen service in 1866 until his death in 1883. Connolly makes a fine Brown though if the film had been made 25 years earlier, the part was made for Sean Connery.Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown gained to Oscar nominations for Judi Dench for Best Actress and for Best Makeup. Shooting on location in the royal palaces and grounds which are nicely preserved from Victoria's time, the film does have the look and feel of Victorian Great Britain and the troubled monarch who reigned over the Empire.Were she and Brown ever physical? I doubt that very much, the very practical Brown was not a stupid man and would never have pushed his luck that much. But he was a tower of strength for the woman whom he brought out of mourning to take her place which was a large one in the world.

evanston_dad Judi Dench plays Queen Victoria a year before winning her Oscar for playing Queen Elizabeth, and Billy Connolly plays the man who helps her recover from the depression she falls into after the death of her husband.This is a tasteful, quiet period piece that has not much to recommend it cinematically but does give one the opportunity to see some terrific performances. American audiences didn't know who Dench was at the time of this film's release, but that was soon to be corrected. Because she lost the Best Actress Academy Award for this role (to Helen Hunt, of all people), she won the very next year for her 30 seconds of screen time in "Shakespeare in Love" and has been an Oscar regular ever since. She could play a fence post and be nominated now, as long as she did it with a British accent.Grade: B

bob the moo In mourning after the loss of her husband Prince Albert, Queen Victoria calls for his former aide, John Brown to be on hand for her walks and such. On arrival, Brown upsets his colleagues and peers by speaking his mind to her – indeed upsetting her as well. He persists though and eventually she goes on a ride with him. His frankness with her seems to win her over and sees her confide in him, increasing her isolation and his standing within the house. At the same time, the political absence of the Queen is felt within the Commons and pressure starts to build not only on her to return to public duty but also in relation to her unusual relationship with Brown.Nobody should let their lack of knowledge of the characters and the period put them off coming to this fine period drama; I myself knew nothing of them but I do try and spot a quality film when I see one – and so it was here. Based on fact to a degree, this film could just as easily as been made up and still be just as effective as a story and a drama. The strength is in the development of the characters, the relationship between Victoria and Brown and the political pressures that push on them from outside. The film does all these things impressively and in doing so produces an engaging story that is as driven by the political ongoings as it is by the development of the simple friendship at its core. Madden embraces the pace of Brock's writing and avoids sensationalism or overdoing things where subtlety makes things better.The cast are a massive part of the film working though. Dench won an Oscar for this performance (albeit a year late – anyone who thinks she won it for Shakespeare in Love is crazy!) and it was thoroughly deserved. She does the typical "Queen Victoria" sternness well but she does a much better job of softening her character gradually with good touches here and there. Connelly is just as impressive – personally I've never been that taken with him as a stand-up comedian but here he has a real presence and a real understanding of his character – chasing position, finding friendship and love and everything that that brings. They work together really well and they drive the material forward effortlessly. Support is classy and impressive from people such as Palmer, Sher, Butler and others – there are no weak links in this cast.Overall then this is a fine and engaging film that works on many levels. The material is really well written with characters, relationships and standards well laid out and presented. The cast respond with two tremendous performances from the leads and classy support throughout. An all round classy film that is effortlessly engaging and elegant and well worth its reputation.