The Young Victoria

Rupert Friend gives a performance, as Prince Albert, that lifts "The Young Victoria" to unexpected levels. He is superb. As we know, Queen Victoria fell into a dark, deep depression after Prince Albert's death and looking into Ruper Friend's eyes I understood. The film doesn't take us to his death but to an incident that may very well could have cost his life. An act of love. I believed it, or I should say, him. I believed what he felt was real. Nothing or anybody gets anywhere near the delicacy and profundity of Friend's characterization. Emily Blunt is good but I didn't believe for a minute she was Victoria. No real sense of period. It may no have been her fault but her prince deserved the crown.

I went into this expecting not to like it; I figured it would be terribly worthy and earnest, and rather plodding and dull.

It's actually far better than that, and I found myself really enjoying it. I don't know too much about Queen Victoria beyond what most know - married to Albert, who died young, and she mourned him ever after. Seeing the circumstances she grew up under was fascinating; in fact I found myself wishing I'd seen more of the story, and I imagine we may see a sequel at some point.

Visually the film is stunning. The sets and costumes are incredibly lavish without being too gaudy and over the top. The acting is top notch from everybody involved.

In a word, it was great!

I don't think the film really sets itself apart from other period-bio films from its ilk. It has the usual sort of sentimentality. But, that doesn't mean it's not a good film. Rupert Friend is his usual pretty self, very hot, but he does bring a lot to his role. He can usually be very stoic and emotionless while being just decorated as pretty, but can often not bring much to the table. Here, he absolutely does. He's able to paint the shades of his character well, even if another more talented actor could've brought even more to it. But really, the film belongs to Emily Blunt, a severely underrated actress who brings so much to her roles, and in a leading role, she can knock it out of the park like she does here. She's incredible, definitely snubbed of an Oscar nomination.

Princess Victoria (Emily Blunt) is in line for the throne of England. The present King William (Jim Broadbent) is not well and may not live long. However, Vicky's scheming mother, The Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richandson) and her aide, John (Mark Strong) want to force Victoria to sign papers declaring them to be the "regents" until she is older, since she is only 20 years of age. The young lady refuses, despite John slapping her around. It is another sign that Victoria has a strong will and deep love for her country. Yet, when William does pass away, shortly after her 21st birthday, Victoria knows she has a heavy duty before her. First, she must surround herself with the "right" advisers to govern wisely. She chooses handsome Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany) who, although an older man, is mentioned as a suitor for Vicky. Which brings us to the young queen's second major decision. Sooner than not, the young queen should select her future mate, as it will bring stability to her life and to those of the kingdom, for an heir must appear in the coming years. Meanwhile, in Germany, some distant relatives of the British royal family are hatching some plans as well. Handsome Prince Albert (Rupert Friend), of the Saxon-Coburg dynasty, is prodded by his father to court the young English royal. Once he arrives at the palace, he is smitten and the feeling seems to be mutual. But, since he is a minor player on the map of royal match-making, can he succeed in winning her heart? This is a lovely film, made even better by a completely winning performance by Emily Blunt as Victoria. Yes, she is beautiful but it is her intelligent reading of the role that scores mightily. Friend, too, does well, as do the other actors, including Broadbent, Richardson, Bettany, Strong (what a repulsive role!), and the rest. Also, the movie is gorgeously shot, costumed, and set, making it a visual treat in every way. If anything is lacking, it is an extra dose of dazzle, as the film seems a bit too straightforward and prosaic, at times, with a somewhat unimaginative edit. However, this is only a minor, minor point of argument in an overall very successful and gorgeous film. In short, young and old, should make time for Young Victoria. It is a most worthy film among 2009 cinematic offerings.

The Young Victoria luckily has a story, and even better than that, it has good actors. That's where a film like The Other Boleyn Girl fails. The acting just didn't match the characters. Emily Blunt, who has quickly risen up the ranks into Hollywood A-list status, gives one of her better performances, worthy of her Golden Globe nomination, as the famed English monarch Queen Victoria.

The film follows Victoria in the year leading up to her coronation and into the first few years of her reign, including her relationship of Prince Albert (Rupert Friend). Victoria was a very protected and sheltered princess who was under constant surveillance by her mother and close friend and adviser. Victoria was next in line to take the crown once the King had passed, on so naturally a lot of attention as to when she would ascend to the thrown and how was being discussed. One thing is clear; Victoria does not want to be treated like a child.

Her budding romance with Prince Albert starts before she is made Queen. The Prince is selected to try and win her affection as a political ally, but one thing leads to another and the two become smitten with each other. Albert is aware that the two of them are very young and must look out for one another, especially in the realm of politics. So called "friends" can become powerful influences on the crown, especially in the case of Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany), who imposes his political party's agenda upon the queen in a back door sort of way, surrounding her with his own people.

Victoria learns quickly, and so do we, that the game of politics is a dicey one. It's hard to see which side people are really on, and by the time you do it might be too late.

I was pleased with the pace and direction of this movie. It could have been too much about the fashion or too much about the politics, but it balanced the two out pretty well. Blunt and Friend are fine opposite each other, playfully going back and forth with their Victorian era flirtations. There is a definite bond their that shows up well on screen.

The rest of the cast does an excellent job. Bettany, Miranda Richardson as Victoria's mother the Duchess of Kent, Mark Strong as Sir John Conroy, the Duchess' adviser, and a nice cameo by Jim Broadbent as an ailing King William. Bettany in particular plays his role quite well, never really telling us whether he is helping the Queen out or trying to do good for himself alone.

The costumes are quite authentic and well made. They don't always distract the viewer's eye but at times they are a bit showy. I guess those were the times. The sets are incredibly detailed. I particularly liked the attention paid to the little knick-knacks and pieces of furniture in the bedrooms and studies. It felt like people were living there.

It wasn't a perfect film and it did have it's dull moments. I thought it ended nicely and didn't wander off to take us places where we didn't need to go.