Stephen Frears

As much as I disdained the Diana adulation, and the way we in America--a supposed republic--squee over monarchy--I admit I do find them fascinating not just as an institution but a way of marking changes in history. And Queen Elizabeth II has seen more than her share. This treats just a short few weeks in her reign: the crisis precipitated by Princess Diana's death. Nevertheless, it somehow gets you a sense of Queen Elizabeth's life, even if like me you're no royal watcher. And Mirren is show more fantastic--she won a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Actress for this performance--and the film garnered plenty of other nominations and wound up on several Top Ten lists. show less

We were caught up in the film almost from the start, finding it sad yet with some superb one-liners and comic moments to lighten the serious nature of the film. It was very powerful, demonstrating the cruelty that apparently wasn’t uncommon towards unmarried mothers in the 1960s, and also the power of forgiveness.

Longer review here: https://suesdvdreviews.blogspot.com/2018/09/philomena-starring-judi-dench.html

Excellent blend of fact and fiction here with the uncovering of the hidden story of Victoria's relationship with an Indian servant who became very close with her. Much of the truth of the relationship was destroyed by the royal family after her death but this is a look that was well overdue. Based on a book written after Victoria's diary of learning a language from India (apparently quite well) was uncovered and examined this looks at that relationship in an interesting way.

Victoria and show more Abdul is an important part of English History, it shows that the relationship in the Empire were somewhat messy and how the colonial attitudes permiated all the strata of the society at the time.

Touching and interesting. show less

I thought this was a interesting take on the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story, as told from the perspective of the maid hired to keep house for Dr. Jekyll.