A great script, lovely cinematography and excellent casting are among the many positives about this quality film. The writer is Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) and director Jean-Marc Vallee, both very good operators. Emily Blunt is excellent as Queen Victoria - portraying her as a young human being and not some lofty deity. If anything, Blunt could have made her a little more posh. I don't think Blunt's accent is quite as correct as it should be. As Prince Albert, Rupert Friend is fantastic, too, although it is a somewhat straightforward role with little expressive room. Miranda Richardson is a great support as the meddling, attention seeking mother of Victoria, the Duchess of Kent, as is Paul Bettany as Lord Melbourne, the initial prime minister. Bettany tries to play Melbourne as a person not used to working with a young woman as his sovereign, or as someone in authority, which must have been strange for him. Best of all, the movie tells the tale clearly and entertainingly, and the pomp and ceremony and the music do not overwhelm the human side of the story. For example, the coronation is just a few scenes and does not drag on.
Review of The Young Victoria
