Rating: 5.5/10

Writer: Julian Fellowes
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Cast: Emily Blunt, Paul Bettany, Rupert Friend, Jim Broadbent, Miranda Richardson
Studio: Apparition

This review was written by Lauren Lester. You can follow Lauren on twitter HERE

I’m just going to come right out and say it: I’m a sucker for period pieces. I’m not sure if this stems from watching EMMA at the tender age of twelve, but I’ve always been wildly attracted to any film where the actors have to wear uncomfortable clothes and speak in an almost obsolete vernacular. So naturally, I leaped at the opportunity to review THE YOUNG VICTORIA. A film about English monarchy starring Emily Blunt? I was completely on board. But as the credits of the film rolled I couldn’t help but find myself disappointed and wishing I had been able to jump ship.

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (C.R.A.Z.Y), THE YOUNG VICTORIA is a beautifully shot film that chronicles the story of how Britain’s progressive female leader began her 63 year reign. Victoria (Emily Blunt) is a sheltered princess who desperately wants to prove, not only to her oppressive mother (Miranda Richardson), but also to the entire United Kingdom that she will be a strong and capable ruler. The film takes the audience through the young Victoria’s journey to becoming Queen and how she meets the love of her life, Prince Albert (Rupert Friend), through visually stunning scenes, set, and costume designs.
Yet, for a film that has so many rich historical facts to work with, THE YOUNG VICTORIA falls short to nothing more than a romantic drama about a princess who falls in love.

Instead of exploring Victoria’s struggle to rule her new country wisely and fairly, the film chooses to only focus on Victoria’s emotions when dealing with Prince Albert. When it is clear that Victoria is being manipulated from left and right by those only interested in furthering their own political careers, the film writes Victoria’s uncertainty off with a few lines and moves on to her relationship with Prince Albert. Although Victoria is not only the main character and title of this film, her marriage is clearly the most important part of this film, forcing the character of Victoria to take a back seat. Which is a shame, because the real-life Queen was extremely fascinating and known for her progressive social reforms, something that could have given the film an entirely different spin and put it in the realm of ELIZABETH.

Not only did I find fault in the portrayal of Victoria, but also in the film itself. There are so many random and spasmodic editing cuts that don’t fit the film’s aesthetic. It seemed like director Jean-Marc Vallée just wanted to experiment with all the different cuts he could, rather than sticking to one theme that was natural to the setting of the film. One scene that particularly comes to mind is during Victoria’s coronation ball, as she walks over to have her first dance not only as Queen of England but also with Prince Albert, she literally floats over to her dance partner. I understood the sentiment Vallée was trying to convey with this action, but it came across as contrived, corny, and just a little bit MATRIX-y, not something particularly suited for an early Victorian Era film.
Also, the film’s ending is so sudden and out of nowhere that it left me completely unsatisfied. After the assassination attempt of Queen Victoria (don’t worry, I’m not spoiling anything, it’s in the trailer – and historical fact) that results in Prince Albert being injured, there is a long, drawn out slow-motion sequence where Victoria prays for the survival of her beloved. But when Victoria learns Prince Albert has survived the shooting, the film suddenly ends and starts spewing facts about Victoria and Albert’s twenty year reign together. Instead of taking this as an opportunity to explore their relationship as they grew older and more confident in their positions (and allow Blunt and Friend to give their characters maturity), it was as if Vallée decided “Well, we’ve hit about an hour and half, may as well call it a day.” But, I’m going to give Vallée the benefit of the doubt here and hope that he was just saving some material for THE YOUNG VICTORIA’s DVD release.

It is truly the performance of the main cast that is THE YOUNG VICTORIA’S saving grace. Despite the lack of material she is given, Blunt wonderfully portrays the young Victoria. She’s no stranger to playing sassy, strong women, yet she captures Victoria’s fragile uncertainty perfectly and with an ease that I almost feel is wasted on such an emotionally bereft script. I must admit that the chemistry between her and Rupert Friend is charming and sweetly captivating. Paul Bettany also delivers a grand performance as the scheming Lord Melbourne. His clear political manipulation over Victoria is executed so perfectly, I could feel him seething when things didn’t go his way.

Despite my attitude, THE YOUNG VICTORIA is not a terrible film. There were things I enjoyed about the film (the costume design is lovely and the set design is even lovelier), I even found it whimsical at times. But it could have been so much more than that. Had THE YOUNG VICTORIA been an exploration of a young woman as she approaches adulthood and responsibility in a man’s world, I would have thoroughly enjoyed it. Becoming an adult is a theme that is completely relevant to young women nowadays (especially those who are graduating soon), and even though they may not be ruling countries themselves, many young women face adult responsibilities with the same dubiety as Victoria. But instead of inspiring the audience with her courage, the film emphasizes her relationship with Prince Albert, becoming a typical princess marries prince and lives happily ever after story. Maybe that’s okay for some, but really, that’s something that can be found in any Disney film.