Review of The Young Victoria (2009) by Nate C — 04 Jan 2011

I usually find period pieces to be pretty engaging, and this one was no different. The Young Victoria tells the story of the titular Queen's ascension to the throne and all of the obstacles she had to face to get there. There's plenty of political and familial intrigue, but I often felt that we weren't always given enough background for it to resonate.

In fact, it feels heavily dramatized, though I haven't yet checked to see how much of it was actually true. But facts aside, you can't really go wrong these days with the depictions of a strong and independent woman finding her way in a man's world. Emily Blunt shows the proper amount of fire and confidence, with a dash of vulnerability. The weight of Britain and the film rests on her shoulders. It actually plays out quite like a Jane Austen story. The film focuses on Victoria's relationship with adviser Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany) and her courtship with Prince Albert, her cousin. I suspect it's a little more cute and superficial than what happened in real life, but it wasn't boring.