Mrs. Brown (1997) Billy Connolly, Judi Dench Rated PG, 4 and one half stars (out of five stars)
Review by Ed Johnson-Ott www.nuvo-online.com/film/
"Mrs. Brown" is one of the years best films; a charming, unconventional love story that is refreshing and utterly captivating. The film deals with the British monarchy, but rest assured, this is not one of those slow, staid period films. Rather, "Mrs. Brown" is a warm, graceful and often funny portrait of two very striking individuals.
Set in 1864, "Mrs. Brown" introduces us to a deeply depressed Queen Victoria. Three years after the death of her husband, the Queen (Judi Dench) is still mourning, forcing her family and staff to share her seclusion in Windsor. She adheres to her daily routine religiously, seeing no one but servants and relatives and avoiding all political matters. She wraps her depression around her like a comforter. Of course she's miserable, but it's a familiar misery, and that familiarity offers some solace. The staff, dreadfully tired of being "prisoners of the Queen's grief" and fearful of the political ramifications of her isolation, send for John Brown (Billy Connolly), the Highland equestrian caretaker of her Scottish retreat in Balmoral. Their hope is that Brown, a friend of her late husband's, can at least get her outside for periodic horse rides, a potential first step towards emergence from her self- imposed isolation.
Brown arrives at Windsor and makes an immediate impression. The brash Scotsman has his own ideas of how things should be done and refuses to let propriety stop him from speaking his mind. During their first meeting, he looks at her with alarm, stating "You look terrible, woman!" The Queen and staff are horrified at his impudence, but in short order, Victoria warms to Brown's bold, protective manner. The two become fast friends, with an unspoken, but obvious love that prompts scandalous talk in the sexually repressed nation. Victoria is soon dubbed "Mrs. Brown" by political wags, while the nation speculates on the true nature of the Queen's shocking relationship with this commoner.
The story, a blend of facts and speculation, allows director John Madden to present a detailed portrait of the era, while shrewdly satirizing the politics and manners of the time. But far more important is the extraordinary character study of Queen Victoria and John Brown. Dench and Connolly are magnificent, a wonderfully mismatched couple with amazing chemistry. Connolly is a marvel; a swaggering bull of a man who takes guff from no one. He speaks when he wants, drinks when he wants and is utterly devoted to her majesty. His impudent remarks, and the stunned reaction of the staff and family, provide some of the film's funniest moments. Dench is equally impressive as Queen Victoria. She is convincingly regal, yet totally human; a haughty, incredibly proper monarch who wants to savor life, but has no idea how to go about it.
The pairing of Connolly and Dench is sheer magic and deserves to be rewarded when the Oscar nominations roll around. Watching Victoria blossom through Brown's loving ministrations is exhilarating. One of the film's best scenes comes when Brown spirits Victoria away to visit a poor couple in the Highlands. The interactions between the four during their evening together leaves the viewer with an almost giddy feeling. The Queen's subsequent emergence from her shell is invigorating, a triumph of love and the human spirit over societal oppression. Director Madden also draws fine performances from the supporting cast, particularly Anthony Sher as Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. Achingly beautiful Scottish locations are used to great effect in conjunction with an excellent musical score. In fact, the film's only problem is that it had to come to an end.
So what was the true nature of Victoria and John Brown's relationship. We'll never know for sure, but consider this. Following Brown's death, Victoria maintained his room in pristine condition and placed a flower on his pillow every day until her death 18 years later. At her request, she was buried with his photograph in her hand. Draw your own conclusions and don't miss this jewel of a movie.
Copyright 1997, Ed Johnson-Ott
MRS. BROWN Billy Connolly, Judi Dench Rated PG, 4 and one half stars
One of the years best films; a charming, unconventional love story that is refreshing and utterly captivating. Set in 1864, a Highland equestrian (Billy Connolly) is summoned to serve a gravely depressed Queen Victoria (Judi Dench). Dench and Connolly are magnificent, a wonderfully mismatched couple with amazing chemistry. Rest assured, this is not one of those slow, staid period films. Rather, "Mrs. Brown" is a warm, graceful and often funny portrait of two very striking individuals.
AIR FORCE ONE Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close Rated R, 3 and one half stars
The President's plane is hijacked by terrorists in this entertaining "Die Hard" clone. The combination of extremely well-detailed lead characters and a constantly escalating sense of tension is what makes "Air Force One" succeed. Director Wolfgang Petersen is very good at creating winning action/thrillers out of preposterous scripts. "Air Force One" has holes in logic large enough to fly a plane through, but Petersen spins the tale so well that ultimately, it doesn't matter. Ford makes a great President and Oldman is effective as a Russian zealot.
FEMALE PERVERSIONS Tina Swinton, Amy Madigan, Paulina Porizkova Rated R, 4 stars.
Swinton plays a young lawyer on the fast track to success who becomes plagued with anxiety and misgivings, made worse by the arrest of her sister (Madigan). The film's fantasy sequences leave much to be desired, but the powerfully acted story effectively addresses fundamental questions about family, sex, and a woman's place in contemporary society.
GOOD BURGER Kel Mitchell, Kenan Thompson, Sinbad, Abe Vigoda Rated PG, 2 stars
Kiddie flick from Nickelodeon tells of two amiable goofballs and their misadventures in the fast food world. War erupts between the staff of Good Burger and rivals at the evil Mondo Burger that opens across the street. Adults will be bored silly, but the little ones should enjoy the familiar antics of Mitchell and Thompson.
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews