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 Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Cast: Emily Blunt, Jim Broadbent, Miranda Richardson, Paul Bettany, Mark Strong, Rupert Friend
Run Time: 100 minutes
Country: Canada/United/Kingdom/USA
Year: 2009
Language: English
Rating: G (Violence)
Acclaimed director Jean-Marc Vallée (whose last film,
C.R.A.Z.Y., was one of the most successful Canadian films of
the past decade) returns with The Young Victoria, a delicate
and profoundly romantic look at England’s last golden age.
The closing night film of the 2009 Toronto International
Film Festival®, The Young Victoria stars the charismatic
Emily Blunt (The Jane Austen Book Club, Sunshine Cleaning)
as Victoria and follows her struggle to succeed as the ruler
of England, a quest blocked by her mother, the Duchess of
Kent (Miranda Richardson, Wah-Wah; Paris, je t’aime), and
her odious “adviser,” Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong, Miss
Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Good).
Widowed at a young age, the duchess has been convinced
by Conroy that she must at all costs keep Victoria
away from the court in order to preserve her own position –
despite the complaints of King William IV (Jim Broadbent, Vera
Drake, Hot Fuzz, in a very amusing turn), Victoria’s uncle, who
clearly wants his niece to succeed him. When Victoria is finally
crowned, she’s utterly unaware of the potential ramifications of
her actions and allows herself to be misled by the dashing Lord
Melbourne (Paul Bettany, A Beautiful Mind, Wimbledon), who
may be using her youth and inexperience to further enhance
his own position. Enter Prince Albert (Rupert Friend, The
Boy in the Striped Pyjamas), who almost immediately charms
Victoria by refusing to stick to the script given him by his
scheming and Machiavellian relations. As love grows between
the two, crucial questions remain unanswered: will Victoria listen
to Albert’s counsel or will her loyalty to Melbourne win out?
The Young Victoria gives us an in-depth portrait of the often
ruthless machinations that characterized the dealings between
royal families: patriotism and family loyalties were labyrinthine
in their complications, and battles for leverage and position
even poisoned mother-daughter relationships. But Vallée’s film
is also a truly felt romance; from the very first meeting, we
sense a mutual bond between Albert and Victoria, despite the
restrictions placed on their interactions. Beautifully directed
and exquisitely acted, The Young Victoria is a memorable, sophisticated
and very charming exploration of English history.
“Anyone who complains they don’t make love stories like
they used to will get a kick out of The Young Victoria”– Derek Elley, Variety
Reviews: www.metacritic.com/film/titles/youngvictoria
Official site www.theyoungvictoriamovie.com
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