The Young Victoria (2009)

The Expectation: The tale of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, early-mid 1800's. Which means the focus of this film is on romance, although some politics probably surface. So really, I expected not a whole lot of depth- hoping it would turn out more like the smart ferocity of Elizabeth (1998) and less like the fluff of The Other Boleyn Girl (2008). And of course, the costumes and the sets, the customs of royalty, and all of that frivolity mixed in. Which I love.

The Result: Initially there was not really any depth to Emily Blunt's Victoria. She is pushed and pulled, and the story floats along waiting...waiting for the first scene to appear in the narrative (the coronation). But it does, and between the before and after, Blunt allows Victoria to grow up, and the audience can get a sense of Queen Victoria's weight of responsibility, frustration at her inexperience, and strive to succeed at her new post. It is a tale that is heavily dependent on the romance between her and Prince Albert, and although his character seems quite shallow to Blunt's performance, I realized that this film is not just about them and their romance- it is about our title character. It is her striving to find her way through this subtly brutal world, disguised behind grand balls, vast dinner parties, and garden walks. And part of her journey is finding strength with Albert, just part. There is some political strife thrown in- mainly from others in a quest to gain favor (and power) from the new Queen. And the film does not rely too heavily on costumes, sets, etc.- frivolity like Sophia Coppola's heavily draped Marie Antoinette (2006) - although, it is there and important, in context. The film does side with Victoria though- as it should- but it might be a bit too much- to the point that we almost don't believe her and we want to know the real dark secrets she is hiding from us from this time period.

Overall, Jim Broadbent (as King William) is awkward, Miranda Richardson (as Victoria's mom) looks horrible, Rupert Friend (as Prince Albert) is way too nice to be real, and Emily Blunt is magical in showing us the vulnerability of Queen Victoria's early reign- a vulnerability that eventually finds strength and give her a unique perspective on power. The rest of the film is just for fun. Don't take it too seriously.

What to watch out for:
The landscapes- great shots of Buckingham palace and the gardens
The supporting roles are a bit lousy except for Harriet Walter as Queen Adelaide who gives the royal court a bit of humanity and compassion.
Those wonderful costumes and hair styles.... I am a fan of period pieces.
Many interesting rack focus shots- playing with the focus in order to draw attention to the wealth of the surroundings- without lingering.
And Emily Blunt. I think she deserves the Golden Globe nomination. Her performance is smart, revealing, and carries the movie from drab to flirty. It could have easily gone the other way.

Flickr photo by boo!berry