VICEROY’S HOUSE (OUT NOW!) review thread - chance for non attendees to win goodies! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

Ahead of the UK release of the acclaimed new film, Viceroy’s House, starring Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey) and Gillian Anderson (The X Files, The Fall) OUT 3 March, around 25 lucky MNers were able to see a preview of the film.

Read on for their reviews.

If you didn't attend, there's a chance to win one of 3 copies of the books that the film is based upon, FREEDOM AT MIDNIGHT and DAUGHTER OF EMPIRE, along with signed posters - to be entered into a draw to win these, please state on this thread how you feel about the period of history that the film is based on.

Starring Hugh Bonneville and Gillian Anderson as Lord and Lady Mountbatten, and set against an exotic Indian backdrop at the time of the Raj, the powerful new film VICEROY’S HOUSE tells the incredible true story of the final months of British rule in India. A celebration of the resilience of the human spirit, the film’s release will coincide with the 70th anniversary of the independence of India and the founding of Pakistan. The Viceroy’s House was the home of the British rulers of India. Charged with handing India back to its people, the Mountbattens lived upstairs, where the political elite wrangled over the birth of independent India. Downstairs, among the 500 Hindu, Muslim and Sikh servants, the social impact of this divide is reflected through the eyes of a pair of young lovers whose sweeping romance is forbidden.

IN CINEMAS NATIONWIDE 3rd MARCH 2017

Watch the trailer below:

Find out more and book your seats here: www.viceroyshouse.co.uk @ViceroysHouse.

Attendees: all attendees who give feedback on the film will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will win a £100 voucher, so please give your film review below:

~ What are your general feelings about the film? What's your headline review? Please give your rating from 1 to 5 stars where 5 is brilliant and 1 is poor (plus do add your rating in the box below left )

~ Who you attended the screening with (friend/ mother/ husband etc)? What did they think of the film?

~ Did you know about this part of history? Did the film change your perception of this period?

~ What do you think it can teach us about the legacy of Empire and the policy of divide and rule in today’s political climate?

Thanks and good luck with the prize draws.

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

I really enjoyed this film. It was interesting to find out the role that England played in the independence of India. The film gave you insight into how political a decision it was and how the different groups felt. It was quite sad really realising that India got carved up primarily for selfish political reasons but nothing ever changes.

Non attendee

This is an area of history that I am interested in having visited India a few times and being a big fan of literature and films based on this period. I was one of the Indian Summer viewers and was gutted when the series wasn't renewed.

I think this period of history is very difficult for me to understand. As the opening words on the screen suggest the history we have often been told has been told from the 'victor's' perspective. It is incredibly to fully understand now the full tensions of the situation at the time and the frustrations for all sides. Equally hard to grasp is the huge scale of people who lost their lives leading up to and during partition. The task of administering 'partition' was huge and watching the film the timescale in which it was rushed through seems crazy for such an important process - especially as economic factors appear to have been the key driver. I'm not sure if there could have been a workable solution which have been acceptable to all and would have avoided the bloodshed and continuing repercussions if a longer time frame had been adopted but the horror of the riots and the numbers of displaced families is hard to stomach and it seems crazy that such decisions appear to have been rushed through.

i havent seen the film yet but i love India and was very fortunate to have visited last summer. it is a magical spiritual place and i would love to return soon. i am interested in seeing the film and this period in history .

I feel pretty ashamed of what happened in that period of history if I am honest.

I really enjoyed this thought provoking film. I had very little knowledge of the partition of India. Or how traumatic it was. I thought High Bonneville was initially too similar to Lord Grantham, but better when he grew a pair later on. Wondered if Gillian Anderson got a stiff neck from holding her head at such odd angles! Jeet is gorgeous. Found the original footage during the credits with the names of the actors who played the characters very moving.

I have not yet seen this film, but my late Dad was 15 and in India in 1947 (born there) and I wish I knew more about the happenings and his life during that time. Fascinating.

I love this period of history and have read about it a lot in school. I see it as a crucial period in the history which is responsible to the problems faced by India even today. It holds relevance and yet has such potential as a story. I am curious to see how the director has interepreted the story on screen.

Non-attendee here.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film though I doubt it was a true depiction of the events at the time. The cinematography was wonderful and as expected with a film about India, everything seemed busy and vibrant and colourful.

The Mountbattens were extremely sympathically portrayed and I'm not sure how accurate this is. I noticed that Pamela Mountbatten was a consultant on the film credits so perhaps this is the reason why. I do expect that many of those in these types of powerful positions were over a some barrel or another so I do pity poor Dickie getting thrown in at the deep end. But didn't Edith Mountbatten have a thing with Nehru? Either way, Gillian Anderson had a good English aristocracy accent!

I have no knowledge of this period of history but it seemed to me that the Empire was portrayed in a better light than was historically accurate whilst there was rather a 'oh, there go the Muslims killing people again' message. That said, I did enjoy the film, and it made me go and research the time period online.

Non attendee

I read and then watched the jewel in the crown series many years ago and I expect it will cover the same period from a rather different point of view. I am not sure whether it with deal with the reality of partition but this era is fascinating and rarely covered.

This is incredibly personal to my Indian family, as my mother came over during partition. So I will enjoy taking her and also hearing more about our family history.

Thanks for all the comments and reviews

Olinguito wins the £100 voucher and theoracleofdelphi, honeyroar and SallySwann all win the books and posters

Well done to the winners :)

Received my books and poster today. Thank you very much Mumsnet and Pathé, I'm really looking forward to reading them.