Sissy Chou Judi Dench and Billy Connolly are great in this movie. Judi Dench is always great! She deserved an Oscar for this. It was nominated, and it was one of the finest performances of all time.If you are expecting this film to be a romance than skip it. It's about the extraordinary man with the ordinary name of John Brown who brought a Queen out of mourning, and how their relationship leads to scandal in Britain.I found watching Young Victoria before Mrs. Brown to be useful and insightful into the eyes of Queen Victoria and her love for Albert. There is no character actually named Mrs. Brown in 'Mrs. Brown,' and was sad what happens to John at the end, but it was an awesome movie.

SimonJack The middle part of Queen Victoria's reign is one of the most interesting and unusual among monarchs of the modern age. "Mrs. Brown" (aka, "Her Majesty Mrs. Brown") covers that period. The queen and Prince Albert had been happily married for nearly 21 years when he died of suspected typhoid fever. As the movie opens, Victoria has been long in mourning over his death in 1861. Many months pass, and her family, the royal household, and the parliament want her to return to her public duties and get on with life. Finally, Victoria sends for a personal servant whom Albert had highly regarded at their Balmoral Castle in Scotland. For the next 20 years, John Brown takes charge of the queen's life and the royal household. The queen slowly comes to life again. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, convinces Brown of the need for the queen to resume a public life for the sake of the kingdom. Brown helps the queen see the need and wisdom of doing so. Brown is much despised among the royal family, household and officials. Yet, he continued to enjoy a unique position and closeness to the queen until his death from pneumonia in1883.Much about the relationship of Queen Victoria and John Brown remains secret or mysterious. It is still controversial among historians today. But, most agree that Brown's role was helpful to the crown and England. Barely half a century later, another unusual royal relationship would rock Russia. The "mad monk," Rasputin, wielded uncanny and bizarre influence at times over the Romanovs, Nicholas and Alexandra. Rasputin was killed on Dec. 30, 1916, less than two months before the start of the Bolshevik Revolution. He has been viewed by some historians as having helped bring and end to the Russian monarchy.Judi Dench does justice to the character of Victoria, and Billy Connolly is excellent in the role of John Brown. Other roles are all handled very well by a superb cast. The history of the time comes alive in the scenery and settings for the film. But for some curious aspects of this film, I wouldn't have written these comments since there were already many reviews. The first oddity to me was with the lead actress, Judi Dench. Queen Victoria was a short, stout woman, and rather plain looking. If anything, Dench gives her more character in her face. But, she seems way too old at the start of the film – when she should be about 42. And then, she doesn't appear to age at all over the next 20 years. She even seems to be a little younger. This was enough of a distraction to me that I couldn't get into the film – in the time and place, for the maximum enjoyment. Victoria and Albert had nine children. Two died in their 30s and the other seven lived long lives – to an average of 76. At the start of the film, four of them would be teens and three of them younger. We don't see the two youngest at all – Beatrice and Leopold, and the others all appear as older children and young adults. Albert (Bertie) who would become King Edward VII, and Princess Alexandra of Denmark were married in 1863, when he was 21. Any of the film details about Brown and Victoria that may be true were probably taken from the Highland Journal, and its sequel, which Queen Victoria wrote and had published. Otherwise, there don't appear to be any other written or historical accounts. I suspect the notion of a diary kept by Brown was fictitious, since it was destroyed according to the movie. How would anyone know about it otherwise?

MartinHafer This film is about the relationship between Queen Victoria and her personal servant John Brown. While a few have conjectured that their relationship was closer than is portrayed in the film, no real evidence of his appears to exist. However, the film studio marketed the film that way--as if the film was about some sexual or overly-intimate relations existed. The people who actually made the film did a good job of sticking to facts and were probably horrified by the way the film was advertised.The film begins a couple years after the death of Prince Albert--Victoria's husband. His death came as a shock, as he apparently contracted Typhoid from eating fruit and died while still a relatively young man. Victoria was so shocked by the death of her beloved husband that she went into deep depression and refused to come out of mourning or assume her regular duties. Eventually, Brown became her servant and slowly eased her out of this depression and became her closest confidant--and amazing thing since he hadn't an ounce of royal blood. Naturally, this caused a stir--royals resented it and the Prime Minister (Disraeli) was irritated that Brown kept the Queen out of the spotlight--staying with her on a very, very prolonged stay at her home at Balmoral, Scotland. Where all this goes next is something you'll need to see for yourself.As a history teacher, I liked this film as it was more historically accurate than many other films on royalty and British history I have seen (such as "Anne of the Thousand Days", "Mary, Queen of Scots", "The Other Boleyn Girl" and many others). In addition, I like how the film focused on Victoria as a person--a real person with lots of foibles--a rarity in movies. Billy Connelly also did a lovely job as Mr. Brown. I lovely film from start to finish.By the way, the apparent paranoia that John Smith had throughout the movie was VERY justified. During this same time period, Presidents Lincoln and Garfield were assassinated, as were the Empress of Austria-Hungary, as well as Czar Alexander II--among others. And, unsuccessful attempts were made all the time--including one on the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, Franz-Josef.

Maddyclassicfilms Mrs Brown is directed by John Madden, is written by Jeremy Brock, has music by Stephen Warbeck and stars Judi Dench, Billy Connolly, Geoffrey Palmer and Anthony Sher.Queen Victoria(Judi Dench)is living in seclusion at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight for several years after the death of her beloved husband Prince Albert.It is while she is there that she meets a royal servant John Brown(Billy Connolly)who is put in charge of her horse. Brown is told to await her instructions for if she wishes to ride out any day.Brown is loyal to the royal family but has little patience with Victoria's staff or with her eldest son, Edward Prince Of Wales, who he can see is a spoilt and angry child instead of a mature and dignified Prince.After several outings together the Queen and Brown strike up a close friendship and he tries to draw her out of mourning and come alive again and stop being depressed about Albert.The Queens family, aides and the public find their relationship disturbing and find it hard to accept that a common person could mean so much to the monarch. This true story is a love story that has both pain and joy and some outstanding acting and is filmed in the beautiful locations of the Scottish Highlands. Dench and Connolly are both superb and have a lovely chemistry. Anthony Sher steals all his scenes as the Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli.