Viceroy’s House (2017) Review

The final Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten must oversee the transition of British India to it becoming independent. The only problem with that is that the conflict within India threatens for the country to split and form Pakistan.

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When I go to see a film that is about History and something that involves Britain I often wonder how we missed learning about it at school. That has happened quite a lot in recent years of watching films in all honesty and this is one of them. The revolution taking part in India which caused Pakistan to become a country as it left the British ruling.

We follow Dickie and his family made of up of wife Edwina and daughter Pamela as they are more than willing to get to know the local people and really negotiate a happy and peaceful transition as India is worn torn in different villages as religion is certainly causing the big fall out. As the people cannot unite and want to be with their own people.

I thought the film was engaging and we are given a forbidden love story as well between Jeet and Aalia who are forced apart due to family and cannot agree to wed and upset family members. It is frustrating to watch as you can see that they really do want to be together. I thought that part of the story really gave it a different edge in all honesty as it brought another opinion on people wanting to stay away from someone else who was a little bit different, showing that love has no boundaries.

The British connection in India want to be seen as negotiating the terms and ensuring that everything will ok and save them face, the change in government has a big impact on the plans for India with some rather interesting twists and turns towards the end.

Performance wise I was very impressed with each member of the cast, Hugh Bonneville leading the cast in a superb manner pretty perfect in the role of a Lord in all honesty. I was shocked with how good Gillian Anderson was with the posh British accent, totally surprised in a very good way! Manish Dayal was certainly my pick of standout performers though having such a huge role in showing how a normal person would be effected by the many changes, in such drastic ways. I thought he was engaging not only with the more serious scenes but with the romance and love as well.

Gurinder Chadha has certainly put together a very impressive film with an important story to really remember. Incredible that her Grandmother was a survivor of it all and that was told with an amazing photograph moment at the end. It makes you realise that in times of great sorrow and loss the only thing that really then matters is your family and if they are safe and happy.

I think it is very pleasing how much I ended up enjoying the film as I really wasn’t too sure if it was my type of thing as the trailer made it look a little dull, I can assure you that it is far from dull. It was engaging and interesting from start to finish!