The Young Victoria

The Young Victoria (2009) starring Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent. During a few years in the early 1800s, there was some doubt as to whether Victoria (Blunt) would become Queen at all. Her uncle, King William, wanted her to succeed him, but her mother (Richardson), and her mother's lover, tried to force a regency on her. She refused to buckle under, and the rest is history. More than that, though, this movie tells the story of the romancing of Victoria by Prince Albert (Friend), who, as it turned out, really loved her. When they eventually marry, it is almost an anticlimax, but they, as a couple, form the heart of the film. It's a well told tale, beautifully mounted, which it was a pleasure to watch. (Subtitles in English are provided on the disc for the hearing-impaired.) Grade: B+