- Film Review
- Reviewed By Tom Hutchinson
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5 out of 5
Judi Dench and Billy Connolly are a wonderfully regal double-act in this perceptive blend of fact and fiction. The story examines the relationship between Queen Victoria and her Scottish gillie, John Brown, who audaciously dispelled her gloom after the death of Prince Albert and with whom she became so close that gossips gave her his name. The Oscar-nominated Dench provides a wonderfully dignified counter-balance to comedian Connolly, whose forthright bluntness causes consternation among her tradition-bound household staff. Though the role was originally to have been played by Sean Connery, Connolly is more than just a substitute and he makes the part his own. Director John Madden and scriptwriter Jeremy Brock have created an engrossing account of an attachment that might have fulfilled itself romantically had it not been for the repressive conventions of the time.
Plot Summary
Historical drama starring Judi Dench and Billy Connolly. Queen Victoria's staff are concerned about her prolonged period of mourning following the death of Prince Albert. They summon servant John Brown, a favourite riding companion of her late husband, to help lift her depression.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Queen Victoria
- Judi Dench
- John Brown
- Billy Connolly
- Benjamin Disraeli
- Antony Sher
- Henry Ponsonby
- Geoffrey Palmer
- Doctor Jenner
- Richard Pasco
- Bertie, Prince of Wales
- David Westhead
- Archie Brown
- Gerard Butler
- Lady Ely
- Bridget McConnel
- Lady Churchill
- Georgie Glen
- Lady in waiting
- Catherine O'Donnell
- Princess Alexandra
- Sara Stewart
- Princess Helena
- Finty Williams
- Princess Louise
- Claire Nicolson
- Princess Alice
- Hattie Ladbury
- Prince Alfred
- Oliver Kent
- Prince Arthur
- Alex Menzies
- Prince Leopold
- Simon McKerrell
Crew
- Director
- John Madden
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