Richard Pasco

After the war, a young social climber juggles his affections toward the daughter of a local industrial magnate and an older married woman.

Grieving widow Queen Victoria (Oscar nominee Judi Dench) withdraws into sadness for years until plainspoken manservant John Brown (Billy Connolly) disrupts her mourning. But as their friendship grows, it results in personal and political ramifications for both of them. Exquisitely filmed and fueled by sparkling performances, director John Madden's period drama brilliantly portrays the woman behind an empire and the man who helped her live again.

Once a peasant, shady monk Rasputin worked his way into the confidence of Emperor Nicholas II, eventually becoming a dominant player during Russia's final imperial years. But why did the royals tolerate his corrupt and scandalous behavior? Through the analysis of leading historians, period accounts and rare photos, this biography delves into Rasputin's power over the Czar, his role in the Revolution and his death at the hands of aristocrats.