THE YOUNG VICTORIA
Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée
Produced by Graham King, Martin Scorsese, Tim Headington  & Sarah Ferguson
Written by Julian Fellowes
Released by Apparition
UK/USA. 104 min. Rated PG
With Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Thomas Kretschmann, Mark Strong, Jesper Christensen & Harriet Walter
 

Elizabeth and The Young Victoria both document the early days of their respective British sovereigns, but compared to the raw, brilliant artistry of the former, the latter feels tightly corseted and uninspired. Tangled in visual succulence —which, with its rich palatial settings and sensual heroine, The Young Victoria comfortably achieves—the new biopic forgets to impart any intelligent commentary. Here, beauty and romance trump insight or purpose, resulting in a supple cinematic feast with no aftertaste to savor.

The portrait of Queen Victoria, played by the lovely Emily Blunt, begins in the run up to her ascension to the throne. Under the pretense of Victoria’s youth, her mother, the Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson), and her mother’s conniving adviser, Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong), pressure Princess Victoria to allow her mother to reign as regent. Disgusted with Conroy’s manipulative play for power and her mother’s complacency, the headstrong princess—acting equally out of duty and rebellion—confidently accepts the crown.

Director Jean-Marc Vallée circumscribes Victoria’s post-coronation experience between the courtship with her charming cousin, Prince Albert (Rupert Friend), and the checkered relationship with her trusted advisor, Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany). Though both men engage with the queen for political reasons, Albert’s love and loyalty prove genuine, infusing the film with a romantic softness and stripping it of any menace or edge. The scenes in which Blunt is allowed to access Victoria’s psychological experience are the only spice in the beautiful but bland production. After delivering her first parliamentary speech as sovereign, the teenager deeply exhales with relief, and the stuffy film finally breathes in tune.

Great attempts are made to contextualize Victoria’s life in the political and cultural climate of the time but the historical details—save for a rowdy scene on the Parliamentary floor—fail either to engage or transport. The acting is strong, and in the case of Blunt and Jim Broadbent (who makes a brief but fiery appearance as King William), truly exceptional. The smooth camera work and dramatic score all add to the feeling of watching a by-the-book biopic, which strays from the cookie-cutter model with one dream sequence and a few experimental shots.

Young Victoria isn’t just about a woman, thought it is, in the stereotypical sense, a woman’s film, the way Braveheart is a man’s film, while Elizabeth rises above trifling gender considerations. But if our expectations are limited to romance—romance between the characters, our romance with Blunt, the director’s romance with 19^th-century England—this limited work may be enjoyed as simply entertaining. Yana Litovsky
December 18, 2009