In contrast to the buttoned-up, mourning monarch most people are accustomed to, “The Young Victoria” offers an alternate take on the historic queen during her youth. As played by the vivacious Emily Blunt, Victoria is revealed to have been energetic, headstrong, and shockingly sensual. This tightly focused biopic arrives with a fascinating pedigree — both Martin Scorsese and Sarah Ferguson are listed as producers — and an acclaimed cast, and it’s sure to quell the corset cravings of costume-drama lovers.
Despite Victoria’s legendary love of her husband, Prince Albert (Rupert Friend), “The Young Victoria” isn’t all sighs and swoons. For every moment of romance, there’s one of political intrigue as people in both Britain and Belgium clamor for control over the throne. The film begins with Victoria learning that she is next line for the throne of her uncle, King William (Jim Broadbent), and how this affects the cloistered life she leads. Unable to embark on the simplest tasks by herself — she is required to have someone hold her hand as she walks down the stairs — she feels powerless, a mere pawn who is controlled by her mother, the Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson), and her mother’s overreaching adviser, Conroy (Mark Strong).
Everyone from King William to Victoria’s other uncle, King Leopold of Belgium (Thomas Kretschmann), has a man in mind for her to marry, and the young princess rebels. But after meeting King Leopold’s choice for her, Prince Albert, Victoria, finds she may not have to decide between love and duty. Meanwhile, Victoria begins receiving counsel from the prime minister, Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany), but the connection between politicians and the monarchy upsets England’s people, placing Victoria’s safety and reign in question.
The contrast between the typical view of a middle-aged Victoria and the youthful one in this script from Julian Fellowes (“Gosford Park”) is striking, and the talented Blunt deserves credit (and, in a lesser year, perhaps a statuette) for her strong turn. She’s already earned nominations for a Golden Globe and a British Independent Film Award for the performance, and we wouldn’t be surprised if her name is called February 2. She’s a believable character brought out of history and flawed in charismatic ways. Her chemistry with costume-drama mainstay Friend is sexy, challenging the strict, staid ideas 21st century viewers have of Victorian life. Friend has become the actor of choice for period projects after appearing in “Pride & Prejudice,” “Cheri,” “The Libertine,” and “The Last Legion,” but he trades in his native British accent for a fine German one in “The Young Victoria.”
The always wonderful Broadbent’s role is sadly brief for historically and narratively obvious reasons, but the rest of the supporting cast is just as good as the Oscar winner. Bettany excels at playing a character whose motives are concealed, and both Richardson and Strong give human performances for characters who could have easily been one-dimensional villains. Harriet Walter appears as Queen Adelaide, the wife of King William, who offers advice to the young queen after the death of the king.
Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallee (“C.R.A.Z.Y.”) has crafted a standard biopic that dutifully hits all its marks, boasting a cast of acclaimed British actors, gorgeous period costumes, and fine cinematography. Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell (“The Aviator,” “Shakespeare in Love”) adds typically lush wares for the production, full of the impeccable attention to detail that a film of this size merits. Director of photography Hagen Bogdanski (who previously wowed audiences with the excellent drama “The Lives of Others”) nicely captures the impressive scenery and set design without letting it overpower the actors’ performances. The classically styled work from composer Ilan Eshkeri (“Ninja Assassin”) is a lovely score when paired with pieces from Handel, Schubert, Strauss, and Dvorak.
“The Young Victoria” loses a few points for its occassionally slow-moving pace, but the costumes and sets provide ample distraction in the languid moments. It’s also hampered by a heavy-handed dream sequence that interferes with both the film’s tone and its general subtlety (that The Playlist also noticed in our review of the film from its screening at Toronto). However, led by a wonderful performance from Blunt, this is a solid, if slightly imperfect film that could have filled the Academy’s requisite period drama spot, if it weren’t for the superior “Bright Star” that came out earlier in 2009. Both films feature a sweet sensuality that advocates that their historic subjects — Queen Victoria here and John Keats in “Bright Star” — were made of flesh and feelings, rather than the dust we’ve come to associate with their sometimes dry persona. [B+]