Movie Review: The Young Victoria

The Young Victoria is a little slow, suffers from too much voice-over and is overly restrained. But if you are into period movies you might enjoy it anyway. It’s not Elizabeth (Kate Blanchett), not even close but the movie does teeter on the edge of being entertaining. Emily Blunt does an interesting job with the part. You can see her change as the film progresses, becoming more self-assured and 'regal', bringing some credibility to this challenging role. I did however, think about who would have made a better Victoria. I could not come up with anyone. The storyline is a matter of history and the movie does a descent job of giving us just that. Much of the movie involves the conflict surrounding the way the Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson), Victoria's mother, closely allies herself with the conniving Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong, also the villain in Sherlock Holmes). Together they conspire to keep Victoria sheltered, unprepared, helpless and completely dependent on them. If only she would sign the regency papers allowing her mother to run the country. In the meantime, they don’t let her walk up or down the stairs without holding the nanny’s hand. King William IV (who had no legitimate children – he had 10 illegitimate ones), Victoria's uncle, cannot stand The Duchess. One of the best scenes is at his birthday party where William (Jim Broadbent), slurring fabulously, lashes out at The Duchess, drenching her with venomous insults in a drunken tirade while the guests look on appalled, horrified and enormously entertained. And then Victoria is crowned. The weight of that crown sits heavy on her head, literally, creating a memorable image. Discussion of a husband begins in earnest. Of course, we know who wins out: Albert (Rupert Friend) of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Victoria's German-speaking first cousin, a man of honor. Albert's courtship of the queen is a complicated affair. He must gain her trust, thwart the ambitions of rivals, not seem too intrusive and wait for her proposal. Complicating matters more, he seems to really love her. Their relationship is one of the great love stories and their devotion and heated attraction to one another is one of the highlights of the film. Together they have nine children - four sons and five daughters: Victoria, Bertie, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold, and Beatrice. The Young Victoria, like all period movies, is about costumes and behavior. Getting an interesting story and a little bit of history are the perks. You get all of it in this pretty little movie. It is written by actor/writer, Julian Fellowers and directed by Jean-Marc Vallee. It runs for an hour an forty five minutes, a small investment for the reward. You can see it in the theater, wait for it on cable or rent it.