The Young Victoria

Director: Jean-Marc Vallee
Writer: Julian Fellowes
Starring: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend
Release Date: December 18, 2009
Length: 1 hour 45 minutes

Queen Victoria became the Queen of the United Kingdom when she was just 18 years old. She married and remained Queen for 63 years until her death in 1901. Victoria was the one monarch to stay on the throne the longest, to this date. This film gives everyone a detailed view of the young Queen Victoria’s life. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, The Young Victoria is an endearing, happy, romantic story about Queen Victoria’s life expanding from her childhood to her first few years as a Sovereign, starring the magnificent Emily Blunt. Victoria is approaching her time to become Queen when she meets the handsome Prince Albert. It is to be presumed that these two will marry eventually, which is excellent because Victoria takes a liking to him anyways. Victoria does not marry him just yet because she feels she is not ready for marriage at the age of 17. While preparing for the coronation of her becoming Queen, Victoria relies on Prince Albert and her cousin Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany) for support and advice. Many people feel she is not ready to accept the throne and many people will use her age and lack of experience to take advantage of her. These are the problems the young girl must face being Queen. Unlike films like The Other Boleyn Girl and The Duchess, The Young Victoria tells much more of a personal story and a better perspective is created from her character with the writing and with the convincing performance from Emily Blunt. I was glad to see that the writer and director of this film didn’t use the love between these two real people to turn this film into only a love story. Even though the film focuses on her relationship with Prince Albert, it also delves into the problems and decisions that Victoria has to confront, as young Queen. This film is part personal and part political. The Academy Award winning writer of Gosford Park, Julian Fellowes, wrote the incredible script and Martin Scorsese was a producer on this film as well. The whole world seems to be falling in love with Ms. Emily Blunt, these days. In the past few years Blunt was a British snobby assistant in The Devil Wears Prada, relatable American twenty something living with her sister in Sunshine Cleaning, and now the legendary Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. This is the first film where I have seen Emily Blunt in a romantic role and her love story with Rupert Friend is one of the most convincing loves I have seen on screen. Rupert Friend has yet had a starring role in a film, but he is slowly becoming more recognizable to Hollywood, as he is probably better known in England. They young actor had supporting roles in Pride And Prejudice and The Boy In Striped Pajamas and recently had more important roles in Cheri and The Young Victoria. As an extremely handsome leading man, Rupert Friend gives a wonderful performance as Prince Albert, the queen’s potential husband. Friend and Blunt share a powerful chemistry in The Young Victoria. As someone who usually doesn’t enjoy historical films, I liked The Young Victoria very much. You are guaranteed to be won over by the motivating script and Emily Blunt’s captivating performance as Queen Victoria.