Review of The Young Victoria (2009) by Don H — 30 May 2010

This Sunday found my Wife and I another Date Night. We decided with no argument to see "Young Victoria".

Yes this is the quintesential Period Piece most men shy from with great regard. Flowing dresses...flowery collars on the mens costumes....funny language....

However...

This bit of history was just that. The film focused more on young Victoria's early accent to the Throne and her early relationships with her court and the Romance with Albert.

Emily Blunt perfectly portray's a person we can only today speculate on how the life was that Victoria led. Well spoken, and firm in her decisivness...Victoria did not take well to others interferences although she desperatly was aware of her young age and her sudden power over an entire Nation...

Rupert Friend is well adapted to the role of Albert....and his interest in Victoria which far outshines the political role the relationship might have taken.

Paul Bettany, who you might remember as the Albino Monk from 'The DaVinci Code' was adept as Lord Melbourne the Political Advisor to the Queen.

"Thats Just How We do Things Here".

If you're not up on your Royals...this might be something of a tedious viewing...trying to keep all the Lords, Dukes and Duchesses straight. Thankfully, the Entire Royal Family was not included in this film. The Royals did extend through out Europe, so the Family tree could be rather leafy. The other extrenous ideal is the way things operated with in the Royal Houses...And this goes beyond the proper settings at the dinner table. Victoria did comment to Albert that it was a bit of a dervish to keep the inside staff up to date with what the outside staff did concerning the cleaning of the windows. They also shared conversation on just which Footman should light a fire....But over all, these quandries were satisfied with the statement that.."This is just how we do things here...".

To that end, this film did not rely on the sole Pomp and Circumstance of Royal Life. In a way...it held up the past in all its regality and displayed it as if we were royal ourselves looking through some humourous writings of our forebears. We often laugh at the things our grandparents might have done that we take for granted today in our modern world. This movie in some sense served as a look in that direction. At the same time, the sense that Victoria was villed with confidence and terror at the same time in her role as Queen fills the story with understanding we might have on a bygone era.

One scene did depict Albert questioning daily dinner laid out for a King dead for twenty years. Near the end, we find out that Victoria laid out Alberts clothing every day from the day he passed to the day she died.

One final acknowledgment...Jim Broadbent's performance as King William...

History shows that Royals pinnied to the Throne often become unhinged...maniacal...

Broadbents performance fit that bill very well. King William was not crazy, but Broadbent leads us to believe that he was fit to tirades in fine and mixed company...

Its all in good fun...and very well executed.Something I would see again...perhaps to own. There are themes more to explore here..and Royal Political manevering I would like to research a bit more...

This movie should be seen...