 |
 |
If you like a little pomp and circumstance in your epic British historical costume dramas -- and hey, who doesn't? -- then Young Victoria will be your cup of tea.
Emily Blunt stars here as the future queen. Her youth notwithstanding, Victoria has the spine to defy her mother, the Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson) and mom's villainous advisor, Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong), who would have Victoria agree to a Regency, allowing them to manipulate her power.
We are so not amused!
Victoria turns 18, sees her duty, and upon the death of tipsy King William IV (Jim Broadbent) is ready to take the throne. Having won a battle of sorts against her mother and Conroy, Victoria must now fight all the other manipulators at court and all the schemers keen to marry her and her monarchy.
When Prince Albert and his brother come to visit, he and Victoria play a game of chess and talk about being moved around like pawns in a game.
There's a spark between them, but the willful Victoria wants to resist the suitor she knows everyone is rooting for.
|
In time, she acknowledges her affection for Albert and they marry. He proves to be the perfect royal partner. (The movie includes the incident when Edward Oxford fired upon the royal carriage, here used to display Albert's bravery.)
The fact that Victoria and Albert were first cousins is probably a topic for later discussion.
Lurking in the background of The Young Victoria in great costumes are Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany), bossy Baroness Lehzen (Jeanette Hain), Baron Stockmar (Jesper Christensen) and the Duke of Wellington (Julian Glover), among others. Lord Melbourne and Prince Albert are painted as rivals for Victoria's attention, in a sense; everybody else has to fill in the historical blanks with his or her conversation.
It's a tad confusing.
And a bit tame.
The Young Victoria is slow and pretty and nobody has quite enough to do. Luckily, there's plenty to look at in the way of costumes and furniture and crown jewels and palace tchotchkes, but this will not be enough to keep all viewers from nodding off.
The movie is a Masterpiece Theatre-ish undertaking and historically interesting, but it's without any of the bodice ripping features of, say, The Other Boleyn Girl.
The Young Victoria is an earnest attempt to investigate the early years of the woman who would eventually become Britain's longest-reigning monarch. And maybe it's too earnest, because the facts are trotted out without any emotional highs or lows making themselves felt. Blunt is good, if subdued in the role; you learn lots about the politics of the day but not so much about the young queen herself. Too bad. Canadians have a particular affection for the monarch whose birthday gives us the first long weekend of every summer.
liz.braun@sunmedia.ca