MOVIE: THE YOUNG VICTORIA
Perhaps the reason no film has ever before tackled “young” Victoria is because the historical setting lacks the political intrigue of its Tudor counterparts, or the romantic complications of a Jane Austen plot. What results is a touching romance relying strongly on a flippant disregard for historical facts in order to create its drama, told in sumptuous style with lavish production. Emily Blunt shines as the adolescent princess, capturing Victoria’s yearning for independence under the confines of a manipulative mother (Miranda Richardson) without coming across as too earnest, while Rupert Friend plays her suitor Albert with an endearing awkwardness. The romance between the two is so tender and absorbing, that historical oversights and one-dimensional villains are easily forgiven. (LR)
