I must admit, I haven’t seen The Young Victoria
It’s a really good period drama, with a script by Julian Fellowes that just crackles all the way throughout. And with Miranda Richardson as a member of the royal family, it can hardly fail (if you’ve ever seen Blackadder or Poliakoff’s The Lost Prince, you’ll know what I mean).
Emily Blunt is superb in the title role, cleverly balancing the role of head of state with that of a young woman who, despite being aware of her responsbilities, yearns to be allowed some release. There’s one beat in particular where, after a particularly arduous affair of state, she literally kicks her heels back once in private in a way that is just joyous to watch.
Rupert Friend is every inch her equal, though, as the young Prince Albert who steals her heart. While the marriage is initially conducted for political reasons, it’s clear early on that it is a partnership based completely on love, and that’s something that is really beautiful to watch.
The ending is a problem, though, as I recall. It feels as if a disagreement between the couple is concocted to induce a sense of peril, and once it is resolved one is flung directly in to the “what happened next” captions that signal the end of the film. One is left wanting much, much more — which isn’t a bad way to end a film, I suppose.
The trailer is below; you can buy a DVD of The Young Victoria on Amazon.co.uk
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