Victoria & Abdul (2017)

I saw Victoria & Abdul at a preview the day before it opened and found it to be captivating. I try to catch anything from Stephen Frears -- most recently seeing The Queen, The Deal, and Philomena -- but this film resembles a crown jewel in the career of Dame Judi Dench, particularly in the scene where she (again as Victoria, though now much older) mourns losing the love of her life (though I have not yet seen her in Mrs. Brown). Indeed, Victoria & Abdul opens with a Victoria so aged and corpulent that a phalanx of servants must literally hoist her from bed, ply her with clothes, and trundle her to the dining hall -- where food, her one remaining pleasure, gradually reveals the droll comedic moments that festoon this historical drama. Abdul, a civil servant in British-ruled India, is selected to travel two months by ship to present a token gift to Victoria on her 50th anniversary as queen; he is of common birth, but intelligent, self-taught, and compassionate. He and the Queen establish a rapport outside of the boundaries of protocol and politics; they become all but inseparable; he is even alone with her at her death bed. This is a movie about finding a close relationship of trust where none was expected; setting aside strictures and rules for growth and opportunities; and standing for one's beliefs, even when outnumbered, even as the Queen. The historic events in this film occurred around 1900, but Abdul's papers (and hence his part in history) were not discovered until 2010. Enjoy! 5 stars. (9-26-2017)

Carrie Pilby (2017)

I loved this movie when it came to streaming in June and I love it even more after watching it a second time. The lead actress "carries" the entire movie impressively well; she is beautiful and brilliant, adult yet childlike, an idealist who is learning how to cope better in the real world (mostly with the help of her kindly therapist, played by Nathan Lane). Carrie Pilby seems to me a bit like Allie McBeal meets Sex in the City (but no sex) with a schmear of The Big Bang Theory. Carrie skipped three grades in London before going to Harvard at age 14, whence she graduated at 18. One year later, she has made a home in New York City, which is almost a character in the film (as it so often is). She prefers the company of books and her own thoughts, even as her therapist encourages her to dip a toe into the wading pool of interacting with others. She meets two quirky co-workers, two potential suitors, and reconciles with her father after a great scene involving his defense of her most treasured book. There are not many movies where a highly intelligent young woman is appreciated for her knowledge, wit, and moral standards; even her quirks are cool. More than Carrie herself, though, the movie "carries" a sense of community, that we are all meant to help each other, even if at times we have hurt each other. The scriptwriting for this film is simply stellar. Enjoy! 5 stars. (9-26-2017)

Are You Being Served? The Movie (1977)

I have seen all of the original series (1972), but if this is the best they can do 5 years later, I dread seeing the follow-up series Are You Being Served? Again (1992). I enjoyed the original series well enough (3 stars); even though it was campy and used hackneyed double-entendres about the poof's "drawers" and Mrs. Slocum's "pussy," the entire ensemble of actors knew it and really milked their roles. It is classic run-of-the-mill British comedy -- dry and silly. We see flashes of that campy genius in this movie, but instead it is the silliness of the script that ends up milking the actors of their comedy. This company vacation story devolves into a flurry of misdelivered sex notes, musical tents, and a subversive shootout led by a commando who colluded with the hotel manager to rape one or more of the employees. Your only reason (just barely) to see this is out of nostalgia for the original series. Enjoy! 2.5 stars. (9-11-2017)