Starring: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Miranda Richardson, Mark Strong, Paul Bettany, Thomas Kretschmann, Rachael Stirling, Michael Maloney.

Director: Jean-Marc Vallee.

THE PLOT: Of all the love stories that have defined the British monarchy, none tugs the heartstrings quite like Victoria and Prince Albert.

Brought together in the eye of a political storm, the queen and her first cousin weathered public disapproval to affect lasting change including the abolition of slavery and educational reform.

When Albert succumbed to typhoid at the age of 42, the queen was plunged into mourning, wearing black for the rest of her life.

The Young Victoria traces the romance from the initial sparks of attraction to marriage, revealing the private frustrations of the young queen (Blunt) as she attempted to walk a minefield of political intrigue and stringent social etiquette in the 19th century.

It examines the relationship with her mother, the Duchess of Kent (Richardson), scheming advisor Sir John Conroy, and ambitious Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne (Bettany), and her quest to find allies who share her vision for the future.

THE VERDICT: This is a first leading lady role for British actress Emily Blunt, previously seen as Meryl Streep’s uppity secretary in The Devil Wears Prada, and she turns in an admirable performance.

Amid all the pomp and pageantry which at times threatens to drown the leading performances, she manages to fire up a decent chemistry with Keira Knightley’s boyfriend Rupert Friend, who makes a dashing Albert.

The film has a similar look and feel to Knightley’s own period drama The Duchess, with gorgeous sets and costumes and a haunting music score.

Produced by Sarah Ferguson (look out for a fleeting appearance by Princess Beatrice in the opening minutes) Julian Fellowes has penned a script which sticks very closely to historical fact.

It’s not a film to set the world on fire, but has a warm family-friendly quality which will earn it many fans, and put Blunt’s already rising star firmly in the ascendancy.

Carl Jones’ rating: 7/10

• Release Date: Friday 6 March 2009
• Certificate: PG
• Runtime: 104mins
• Starring: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Miranda Richardson, Mark Strong, Paul Bettany, Thomas Kretschmann, Rachael Stirling, Michael Maloney
• Director: Jean-Marc Vallee

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