Customer Reviews

The Young Victoria [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(121)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this film! Emily Blunt gave a stunning performance as Victoria, but Rupert Friend totally steals the show as Albert, in many ways a much more challenging role, I think. Albert was a complex, private person and his relationship with Victoria is all the more interesting, because while he dutifully pursued marriage with Victoria as his destined "career", he did not expect to fall in love or to be loved in their marriage. Friend does a marvelous job of portraying a very reserved, rational man suprised by his own powerful feelings, and of showing Albert's very dry but keen sense of humor. Many biographers/historians have suggested that Albert did not love Victoria as she did him, but I think this has much more to do with Albert's reserved, Germanic public persona than any historical reality, as is amply demonstrated in his letters and Victoria's journals. Friend does a marvelous job of revealing an Albert who loved Victoria deeply and was willing to make great sacrifices for her, but who also had the strength to stand up to her strong will and fiery temper, and not be pushed around. Both actors obviously did their homework on Victoria and Albert and I think very much captured the essence of their personalities. I also very much enjoyed Jim Broadbent and Harriet Walter's marvelous, feisty performances as King William and Queen Adelaide.

One aspect of the film I found a bit jarring was the portrayal of Victoria's relationship with King Leopold and Baron Stockmar as being rather distant and hostile. While Victoria was quite determined to live her own life and not be a pawn in their (or anyone else's) political schemes, she actually had a very affectionate relationship with her uncle Leopold both before and after her marriage, and Stockmar was a lifelong friend and confidant of both Victoria and Albert and helped them through many of their early marital difficulties. Their manipulative attitude toward Albert and their obsessive focus on grooming him for marriage to Victoria was historically accurate, and Rupert Friend's portrayal of the young Albert's attitude toward their "training" is one of the funniest parts of the film.

I highly recommend Stanley Weintraub's biographies of both Victoria and Albert for those wanting the real historical background for the film. Sarah Ferguson's book Victoria and Albert: Life at Osborne House is also a well-researched and beautifully illustrated book about their marriage and family life.

There is a bit of minor chronological rearrangement to cram about 5 years of historical material into less than 2 hours, for which I think Julian Fellowes can be easily forgiven, and some slight embellishment of real events for dramatic effect (eg Prince Albert did attempt to shield Victoria in the assassination attempt but was not actually shot, Albert was not present at Victoria's coronation) but I didn't find it detracted from the story. Much of the script is actually verbatim historical record (King William's drunken outburst at the banquet, Conroy's attempt to force Victoria to sign an order making him Regent) and Fellowes included these bits unaltered, to his credit--they are fabulously dramatic, just as they are.

Costuming is gorgeous and well-researched, the film is a visual treat. A real must-see!

Movie critics seem to brush over the section of movie goers that can't get enough of well done period dramas. The week before I saw YV I watched Avatar. Now, the critics love Avatar--new visual feats, jump scenes, apparent sex and vilification of the political right. What the critics hate is a beautiful well made film with monogamous relationships, real violence and a hero that actual existed. I suppose critics love the imaginative and spur the real, an interesting commentary on our society and its relationship to the beautiful.
This is the best period drama since the 6 hour Pride and Prejudice.

As others have mentioned, the costumes and scenery alone are worth watching the movie for. The acting is wonderful, Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend are passionate and emotive.

The problem stems from messy, unresolved plot holes. A lot of relationships are left undeveloped, and as a result I found it hard to emotionally connect to any minor characters enough to care about their plot threads. When you have such an amazing ensemble cast (Miranda Richardson, Mark Strong, Paul Bettany, Jim Broadbent, etc.) not making the most of them seems almost shocking. Their parts came and went without much ado.

I would have liked to see a bit more development in the romance between Victoria and Albert; the film did a great job showing their correspondence and how excited each was when receiving a letter from the other, but failed to include more than one or two little moments together before expecting the audience to believe in their grounded love for one another.

The driving conflict seems to be Victoria finding her footing despite ill advice, youth, and inexperience; her and Albert's common desire to help the disenfranchised is a great strength, but is never mentioned again after Victoria and Albert are married. They are never seen to do the work that seemingly brought them together.

With just a few little moments added, a few strings tied, a few characters given proper send-offs, it COULD have been utterly moving...but I suspect many of the scenes that would have made this film great rather than good are hiding on the cutting room floor. I can only hope for a Director's Cut at some point!

The delightfully dallying Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, treats us to a beautifully costumed glimpse of the political and power machinations that go on no matter the era behind the palace door in her production of "Young Victoria" directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Julian Fellowes.

Flamboyant Ferguson, once married to Prince Andrew of the UK, knows firsthand just how much of an outsider someone married to a royal can be even in his/her own household. Obviously intrigued by her subject matter as illustrated with the elaborate attention to detail, Ferguson uses the outsider theme in her recounting of the story of Victoria Regina (1819-1901) and VR's ascent to the throne of England at eighteen years old in 1837 but also explores `what could have been' for herself and her modern day prince if they had not allowed the politics and manner plays of the realm interfere with their life together.

Living as a virtual prisoner in the home of her mother, the Duchess of Kent and the Duchess's lover/adviser Sir John Conroy, Victoria endures a restrictive childhood with no companionship of her own age; her dog, Dash, albeit an adorable King Charles spaniel does little to promote her experience of the outside world or prepare her for her coming role as queen. Thought of as a pawn to be controlled by either an appointed regent, a husband, or trusted adviser, Victoria must remain focused; understand her weaknesses and work towards a strong independence that will aid her in taking her place as one of Great Britain's greatest monarchs. The film transports the young princess from captivity to competence and sees her growth from unsure and stubborn ingénue to more-in-control young queen, wife and mother.

Ferguson's concept succeeds admirably; "The Young Victoria" is a first rate film in the genre of Masterpiece Theatre, replete with the lush backdrops of the royal British lifestyle (exquisite gardens, Buckingham Palace, and castles, Arundel and Belvoir ) and beautifully recreated 19th century costumes. However, most compelling for this reviewer and her fellow very vocal older audience members was the film's ability to convey the advance and balance of the developing romance between this queen and her consort from the viewpoint of Victoria as unsure insider and Albert as the German prince who most certainly was at first a guest within his own home. What Ferguson did not get right in her own life, she more than adequately conveys here.

Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada (Full Screen Edition), Warrior Queen) plays the young repressed princess with a believable uncertain precision--her role as Victoria contrasts remarkably with the acerbic over anxious assistant to Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wore Prada." Wonderful to look at, Rupert Friend (Cheri, Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont) gives Albert, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, male model sexiness that had many of the audience's older women cooing at his earnest smiles and endearing dimples. However, he is not just a pretty face; his ability to personify a steel core within a pleasant persona admirably depicts the dilemma his character faced throughout his twenty years as Victoria's husband.

Secondary players Miranda Richardson as Victoria's mother and Mark Strong as the Snidely Whiplash villain, Conroy, smolder with insecurity and the wrath that ensues when one's orders are not followed to the letter. Almost unrecognizable--a tribute to his chameleonic ability to become any character--is Paul Bettany (Wimbledon, A Beautiful Mind) as Lord Melbourne, the ambitious and politically minded PM.

The combination of worthy players and intriguing plotline keeps the hour and 45 minute playing time a moving feast of period drama, political power and sweet romance that will wow any lover of the Masterpiece Theatre genre. Despite some historical inaccuracies (Albert never took a bullet for Victoria although there were multiple assassination attempts on her life), the interplay between the two leads cannot fail to charm.

Bottom Line? Sarah Ferguson along with Martin Scorsese produces and arrestingly lovely film depicting the first years of Queen Victoria's long reign as monarch of Great Britain. Telling the parallel stories of her romance with her first cousin, the German Prince Albert and her maturation with regard to court politics and her role as the empire's figurehead, "The Young Victoria" provides an intriguing entertainment for the Masterpiece Theatre set who cannot get enough of costumes, elaborate sets and the mannered sensibilities that act as decoy for machinations that do not change with any age. The audience that I viewed the film with commented enthusiastically about the production afterward, repeatedly exclaiming that it was one of the `best films' they had seen in years. Recommended.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc"

From the exceptional costuming to the beautiful cinematography, `Young Victoria' is a triumph...a gem of a film that shines thru all the surrounding noise: when I put this DVD in to watch (released earlier in the UK), I was very impressed with the quality of the entire program! Emily Blunt is stellar as Victoria and Rupert Friend as Albert, as well as great performances from the whole supporting cast: one of my only `issues' with this film is that it was just too short: I was hoping for 3 hours & got about half that: other than that, I was so very well pleased with this film!

Content: Young Victoria had very little that was objectionable in content: there was a sensual bedroom scene (not graphic) between a husband & wife, there was a little violence (a man shoots someone), a little language, and some adult themes, but overall, this was a clean film. I would say it is reasonably family-friendly, but that parents should view it before-hand, to decide if it is acceptable for younger children.

I really enjoyed Young Victoria: from the costumes, to the scenery, to the acting, to the locations, it was just a beautiful film all round: a neat, concise telling of Queen Victoria's ascension & early years of rule, with a huge focus on her relationship & marriage to Albert...a true delight of a film!

The settings, costumes, and backgrounds to the film were beautiful. Emily Blunt was wonderful in her performance as Queen Victoria but the story line was so boring and seemed to have moved rather slowly. As I watched the film, it felt like the actors themselves were bored making the movie. The passion between Emily and Rupert wasn't really there. The writers could have done so much more with the unrest of the English people and spent more time dramatically with how Victoria turned her people's hatred of her into fondness and love, celebrating that she is still the longest reigning monarch in British history. The movie was a glimpse of various scenes into Victoria's life with no substance to them.

When the film ended I thought to myself, "that's it?" It was as if the writers didn't really know how to end the film and their choice made it feel like it was a documentary instead of a dramatic period piece.

I preordered this from Amazon and was pleased that it's price had dropped by the time it was delivered. Thanks, Amazon, for your continued excellent service!

But when the movie arrived a day ahead of its promised arrival - thanks, again! - I was disappointed after viewing it. Costumes were good, but I question whether it got the Oscar because of their intrinsic worth or because of their relative worth compared to last year's other offerings. Acting was good enough, but plot and dialogue were really disappointing. LOTS of beginnings without ends, especially the ending itself, which left me hanging. History majors like myself will recoil from the license taken in embellishing certain facts, such as the assassination attempt and Victoria's almost smarmy relationship with the Dowager Queen Adelaide. The visuals weren't as good as I'd been led to believe, but I'm willing to ascribe some of that to watching it at home on a 36" screen instead of in a theatre on a big one.

A far better film is "Victoria & Albert," produced by A&E and starring, among others in an excellent vibrant cast, Diana Rigg as Baroness Lehzen and Peter Ustinov as King William IV. Much truer to fact, and costumes just as good to my eye. But, where V&A really holds the advantage is in its plot, dialogue, continuity, and development and resolution of characters and themes. No loose ends there, but a truly great story - and one I'm now going to rate a solid 5-star on its own page.

One of the greatest love stories that many people are aware of. That is the story of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert (Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha). It's a shame that when British royalty and relationships are focused on in the press, it's about the disintegration of the relationship, the affairs and the amorality of its participants and anything that the gossip magazines salivate over.

Granted, perhaps this interest in the broken relationships of royalty will continue Ad Infinitum but once in awhile, it's good to see a storyline that features true love within royalty and what best than to focus on Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the film "The Young Victoria" directed by Jean-Marc Vallée ("Strangers", "Loser Love", "The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne") and a screenplay by actor Julian Fellowes ("Monarc of the Glen", "Aristocrats", "Jane Eyre"). Cinematography is by Hagen Bogdanski ("Tatort, "Der Templer", "Nachtmusik") and music by Ilan Eshkeri ("Kick-Ass", "Centurion", "Ninja Assassin"). The film was also produced by Sarah Ferguson (Her Grace Sarah, Duchess of York) and legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

"The Young Victoria" is a film that showcases the utmost beauty of that time in history. Elaborate set designs and costumes and needless to say, the film was recognized by being nominated for three Academy Awards and would win an Oscar for Sandy Powell for "Best Achievement in Costume Design". The film would also win a BAFTA Film Award, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award and a few more awards for "Best Costume Design".

VIDEO:

"The Young Victoria" is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:35:1) and the film is just gorgeous to look at. For one, the costume design by Sandy Powell is simply amazing as with the set design in capturing that part of history. On Blu-ray, the details are simply wonderful as you can see the various patterns on the costumes, the curtains and just the overall detail of the luxuries around the mansion. Skin tones are natural, blacks are nice and deep and simply the detail from the wavy hair of Rupert Friend, to the eyes of Emily Blunt are well-captured in HD.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"The Young Victoria" is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD MA. Although "The Young Victoria" is not an action film that would showcase lossless audio continuously, the film utilizes music and ambiance to full effect. The music, courtesy of Ilan Eshkeri is brought to full life as the orchestra envelops your soundscape. Surround channels utilize certain instruments that literally, your room does come alive with the beautiful music. And as for ambiance, from crowd scenes in which you can hear the crowd gasping as King George IV unleashes on the Duchess of Kent to footsteps, leaves rustling, birds chirping in the outdoor sequences. Overall, clear lossless audio which works well for this type of film.

Subtitles are in English and English SDH.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"The Young Victoria: comes with the following special features:

* movieIQ and BD-Live - For those who have their Blu-ray player connected to the Internet and can access real-time information on the cast, music, trivia and more while watching the film.
* Deleted and Extended Scenes - Featuring 17 deleted/extended sequences not included in the final cut of the film.
* Making of the Young Victoria - (5:42) The talent talk about how much Victoria loved Albert and the things she had created and left in memorium for her husband. Producers talk about Victoria and wanting to make things convenient for the audience and a story they can relate to.
* Lavish History: A Look at the Costumes and Locations - (7:20) An interview with Sandy Powell and creating the costumes for "The Young Victoria" and replicating what Victoria wore. Using paintings as a reference such as the wedding dress but also adding things of her own to make the costume look right for this film.
* The Coronation - (2:46) Historical Advisor Alastair Bruce talks about how the coronation segment and making sure the details of the coronation are correct.
* The Wedding - (2:35) Writer Julian Fellowes discusses the marriage and compatibility of Victoria and Albert. Sarah Ferguson talks about wanting to portray Victoria as a beautiful young woman in the film.
* The Real Queen Victoria - (7:28) The cast talk about Victoria and her life with Albert. Featuring excerpts from Victoria's diary and to show us a little about the real Queen Victoria.

JUDGMENT CALL:

As a reviewer who has enjoyed films that have dealt with royalty, especially when done very well, "The Young Victoria" is a film that looks incredible and you can't help but being enamored by how much was dedicated into making this film look authentic by making sure the cast and many, many extras were dressed to the style of that era but also capturing the look of the royal palace.

For one, it helps that you have a producer like Sarah Ferguson, who is familiar with royalty to produce the film and also having the drive to make this movie come alive. And also, writer Julian Fellowes, who wanted to make sure that as much of Victoria's past is captured in the film. It's important to note that there are situations from the film that were dramatized for the film (there is an incident in which Prince Albert is shot but this never happened in real life) and a few things that were not exact (ie. during King George's unleashing on Duchess of Kent, the Duchess was seated next to him, not several chairs down and that afterward, the Duchess including her daughter Victoria were reduced to tears).

Personally, with so much negativity focused on the relationships of royalty, I felt that it was pretty good to see a film that covered a royal family in which the King and her husband were very much in love. Victoria's love for Albert is well-known in the UK for her creating various institutions in honor of her husband and other things detailing Victoria's unconditional love Albert that were covered in the film.

This is not a film that focuses too much on the politics but focuses on the love of Victoria and Albert and thus, for those looking for something deeper than that may be disappointed. Case in point, film critic Mick LaSalle of sfgate.com writes, "Still, if you want to hate "The Young Victoria," you'll have to work at it. Even at its worst (all the many scenes of Victoria and Albert kissing and rolling around in bed) it's diverting in a soap opera way. If you really want to see this movie, don't let me talk you out of it."

It appears that LaSalle was slightly invidious towards the film and the emotional and love story aspect of the film made him consider this film as kitsch. But aside from his assessment, he was not going to enjoy the film because of its relationship angle. Personally, "The Young Victoria" is a film about a relationship of two people who love each other. Yes, the two have a scene rolling around in bed but it's not long nor is it a major focal point in the film that makes the film seem soap-operish at all.

Ty Burr, film critic of the Boston Globe, gives a better explanation of why he doesn't like the film. Burr explains, "It's a muddled but plush experience overall, and if you're a royalist completist or a historical romantic, you'll probably have a decent time."

Burr goes on to say, "But the role calls for a good dollop of British royal naivete, and Blunt, to be blunt, can't dull her edges enough to play it. We never really believe Sir John or Lord Melbourne or King Leopold constitutes a threat to this girl and, without that, any dramatic suspense evaporates into topiary and velvet."

I accept Burr's review in the fact that "The Young Victoria" is a plush experience that romantics will fall in love with. It is a very good film that focuses on that but in terms of Emily Blunt's performance, I felt Blunt and also Rupert Friend had tremendous chemistry and both did a wonderful job. I felt Blunt was more appropriate in her role versus and her performance was actually quite radiant. It's important to note that Victoria was a woman who literally grew up with no childhood. She was literally raised with a strict upbringing and one can wonder, how was she at a young age.

And where other royalty films focus on the monarchy, "The Young Victoria" is a film that doesn't focus too much on the monarchy that people can identify in the characters of Victoria and Albert.

But I suppose when it comes to dramatic suspense, I must digress as it is true that perhaps the film does not have much in terms of dramatic suspense (thus, the need for the writer to include a false scene involving Albert and an assassin) was needed. I suppose if earlier in the film, there were more scenes that focused on Victoria's upbringing by the "Kensington System" that we could have some sort of feeling of why she had a true disdain towards her mother and Sir John Conroy. But needless to say, by the time Victoria's a grown up woman about to become a queen, the viewer has less interest in Queen Victoria's mother and Conroy and are more focused on if Albert can win the affection of Victoria.

Overall, "The Young Victoria" was a beautiful, romantic film. On Blu-ray, the visual details on the picture quality was gorgeous and the music via lossless was beautiful to the ears. In some way, because of the context of the film being a romantic film, I felt there was no need to focus too much on the polemicizing. The film doesn't ask for anyone to be an erudite on royalty but for one to enjoy a good ol' romantic film based on the true love between Queen Victoria and Albert, royalty but also real people who truly loved each other - nothing more and nothing less.

Definitely recommended!

I was so excited to see this movie. It was shown at a small artsy theatre which made it feel like I was walking back in time upon entering the theatre. It only shows two movies at a time, usually independent films. The personal, friendly atmosphere was so different than the mainstream theatres that I usually go to - and the seats were amazingly comfortable. I really am a firm believer that where you are influences the way you perceive things - it was a very enjoyable experience, even if we were the youngest people there!

I think that they picked the perfect actor and actress for Albert and Victoria. Emily Blunt carried herself perfectly as a princess and a queen. She could easily evoke all of the emotions and feelings that were required of the role. I very much enjoyed Rupert Friend as Albert. An actor who I considered a scene stealer was Mark Strong as Sir John Conroy. It took me a little while to figure out what his relationship was to Victoria and her mother - for quite awhile I thought he was her father!

The settings were gorgeous. I'm not sure if they looked how they should or how much of it was real vs. CGI, but it was eye candy. I loved when they went into Buckingham palace for the first time - it was so breathtaking! It certainly made me want to visit England.

My favorite scene was the chess game between Victoria and Albert early in their friendship. I have included it above for your viewing pleasure. It evoked some laughter in the theatre and I loved how they compared Victoria's life to the chess game. My second favorite scene was where Albert takes a bullet marked for Victoria. Although, from what I hear, this never happened in real life, I actually really liked that scene. Very dramatic.

My boyfriend did not want to really see the movie - but went anyway. Upon being questioned as to what he thought of it, he replied, "it wasn't that bad, not what I expected". So, for someone totally not interested in royalty, I will take that as a stellar review.

I can't comment on how accurate this movie is historically, but I can say that it presents a very "real" love story, and the depiction of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's friendship, courtship, and marriage is quite beautiful. First, we see the pair build a friendship that is built on trust and common ground. This blossoms into feelings for one another, but this is put on hold as Victoria deals with the new changes in her life. Albert demonstrates steadfastness and patience while he waits until Victoria is ready. While their marriage is full of love and respect, we also see a glimpse of their passionate power struggle with each other. All in all, it presents a very inspiring view of marriage and love as learn to selflessly want the best for each other. A very well done movie, and Emily Blunt is especially fantastic.