The Young Victoria

Viewer Rating:Sarah has rated The Young Victoria rating: 4 Star

This account of the rise to the crown of on of England's greatest monarchs is an intriguing insite to the life of the young princess. Victoria is under the control of an overly ambishous mother and her kiniving advisor Conroy. They want to force the fragile young girl to sign over her claim to the throne. But Victoria is a lot tougher than she looks and when she turns 18, with the death of the King, becomes the most powerful woman in Britain. But there are those who want to use the young queen for their own ends, including her uncle the king of Belgium. They want the prince, Albert to seduce the queen so that he can persuade her to help them. Albert ends up falling for Victoria and refuses to manipulate her. Together they become a force to be reckoned with. The PM, Lord Melbourne, played by Paul Bettany, subtley manipulates Victoria for his own political benefit, but Albert sees through this and so ruins Melbourne's plans for Victoria. At the beginning of the marriage Albert feels like he is just there as part of the furniture, however after the assassination attempt on Victoria, from which he saves her, she realises that Albert is a valuable asset and employs his help in performing her duties as Queen of England. This love story of one of the world's most famous and powerful couples is told beautifully. The film gets the balance between love, drama and history perfect in my opinion. It doesn't get too bogged down in the political drama as some period films of this theme can. The locations, the costumes and the acting are superbe in my opinion. If you like historical drama and a bit of romance, this film is for you.

Review published on the 14 July 2009 22:29