Review of Mrs Brown (1997) by Chris M — 25 Oct 2010

There is no character actually named Mrs. Brown in 'Mrs. Brown' (a-k-a: 'Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown'), a surprisingly enjoyable little period piece from 1997 that has been thoroughly stashed away over time. The title is in reference to the murmurings and assumptions of the British people under the rule of Queen Victoria (Dame Judi Dench) and her sudden companionship with her newly appointed recreational horse escort, John Brown (Billy Connolly).

Two years after the death of her love Prince Albert, the grieving, widowed Victoria has become stubborn, uncooperative, and reliant on her state of misery. Enter Brown, a Scottish friend of Albert's with a more level-headed stubbornness of his own, brought on with the intention of being on call when and if the Queen chooses to momentarily abandon her seclusion for outdoor exercise. When Brown learns his position is mostly deemed dismissible by all in the palace, he starts to play hardball, standing at attention in the courtyard with the horse instead of staying hidden in the stables as is preferred.

His method successfully breaks the ice, and Brown is keenly aware of the attitude he must use to bring the Queen and her control to health: in short, no fawning over her. Brown starts snapping her back to her senses by reversing debates and practicing what could be called "killing with kindness." Due to his utmost respect for her, he's rasher and less patient in also changing the loyal subjects who surround her, including her own son, the Prince of Wales (David Westhead). The story conveyed by director John Madden (not the football commentator but the guy who, the following year, would make the less enthralling Best Picture-winner 'Shakespeare in Love') claims Brown is almost single-handedly responsible for the overhaul of attitude within the government.

Before long, Victoria sheds her pale gloom, enjoying a glass of Scotch with Brown at a friend's cottage past her ordinary curfew. Brown is boosted up to the head of security, and with all the unusual changes and servants' dismay for the "upstart" from Balmoral, newspaper reporters get wind of the duo's relationship. To be clear, the relationship between John and Victoria is not sexual - merely friendly and respectful, similar in structure (to the bittersweet end) to the one Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy memorably portrayed in 'Driving Miss Daisy'. It becomes up to the Queen as to whether or not she is ready to be active with love again. In memory of her deceased lover, she does not, but even if she had chosen to, the question would then be whether Brown would accept and pursue or stay firm to the role he was given, despite his ultimately apparent emotions.

I'm put off to discover, reading past reviews, some disapproval toward stand-up comedian Connolly's performance. Though I found this to indisputably be his best dramatic work, it somehow conjured up opinions of him to be a second-rate Sean Connery and accusations of merely wearing the character without anything internal. I find these gripes flat-out wrong; Connolly is why the film is so watchable, perfectly cast with his second-nature blunt line delivery with heartfelt appreciation to follow. Dench, in her first starring role, received a pleasing Oscar nomination for her elegant portrayal of the Queen, but the way she and Connolly play off each other's subtly mysterious feelings should have made for a two-for-one.

'Mrs. Brown' contains adequate costuming, splendid settings, noble supporting performances (Gerard Butler plays Brown's brother in his film debut), and a very sweet plot. What is unfortunately distracting, beyond all of these wonderful traits, is the unfit camera equipment and cinematography, making the whole film appear made for TV (specifically PBS). The fact that this movie is shot on location in foggy England doesn't help this flaw, spoiling the lighting of many shots. As the film's story progressed over several years, I also started to wonder why it never snowed in this northern setting; there is a later scene of Brown and Prime Minister Disraeli (Antony Sher) hiking through a slushy rainstorm, but this is the extent of the weather's variety. Surely the British system doesn't take a season-long hiatus for winter.

Anyone fortunate enough to happen upon this all-but-forgotten flick will discover a fondness for it. With '97 being such a notable year for cinema (in the shadow of the box-office juggernaut 'Titanic'), just about any film during that Oscar season seems under-estimated. While I could list quite a few I will always like more from that year, 'Mrs. Brown' is right up there.