Dominated by her possessive mother and her bullying consort Conroy since childhood, teen-aged Victoria refuses to allow them the power of acting as her regent in the last days of her uncle William IV's rule. Her German cousin Albert is encouraged to court her for solely political motives. Following her accession to the throne at age eighteen, she finds he is falling for her and she is dismayed at her reliance on trusty Prime Minister Melbourne. Victoria is impressed by Albert's philanthropy which is like to her own desire to help her subjects. Her loyalty to Melbourne, perceived as a self-seeker, almost causes a constitutional crisis. It is Albert who helps restore her self-confidence. She proposes and they marry. Albert is proving himself to be not only a devoted spouse but he is prepared to take an assassin's bullet for her!! He is also involved in much-needed reform and finally he is endorsed by an admiring Melbourne.
This period biopic about England's beloved Queen Victoria isn’t just the story of a legendary monarch. It's also a love story about the loving, committed relationship between Victoria and her husband. But despite this and the movie's tame PG rating, kids and tweens probably won't be drawn in by the characters' political achievements, particularly in the movie's first half? Families who watch won't find very much content to object to. There is one scene that involves shooting, as well as some flirting and kissing but no nudity or strong language. 3* (This movie is OK)
105 min, Biography directed byJean-Marc Vallee and written by Julian Fellowes with Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bethany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Thomas Kretschmannm, Mark Strong, Jesper Christensen, Harriet Walter, Jeanette Hain, Julian Glover, Michael Maloney, Michael Huisman.
Note: Imdb 7.3* with 18,194 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 76% with 156 reviews, Metacritic 64 out of 100 with 29 critic reviews, The Guardian 2* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw. Common Sense Media S. Jhoanna Robledo, 3* out of 5*, age 12+, 1* sex, drinking, drugs & smoking, language, violence, 3* positive role models,
Special Note: The dress Victoria wears for her first meeting with her council is a copy of the actual dress Queen Victoria wore on this occasion. It survived and as of 26 March 2012 it is on display at Kensington Palace as part of the new Victoria Revealed exhibition. It is on public display in the Red Saloon, the actual room of her first Privy Council. It has since faded to brown as the black dye at the time was not stable. The very tall green bed cost £25,000 to build. The Duke and Duchess of Rutland, owners of Belvoir Castle, purchased the bed after filming. Just before the credits roll, the following text appears: "Victoria remains the longest reigning British Sovereign. To date: Queen Victoria was the longest reigning British sovereign as well as the longest reigning female sovereign until 2015. Queen Elizabeth II now claims both titles. Emily Blunt’s costumes were insured for £10,000 each.
Mistakes: Throughout the film, Lord Melbourne is pronounced 'Mel-burn' like the Australian city. The title of Viscount Melbourne is derived from Melbourne Hall in Derbyshire and pronounced 'Mel-born'. The other way did not come to be spoken until much later. When Albert is given a portrait of Victoria for the first time, she is depicted in a white dress with a tiara set vertically in her hair bun. By convention, unmarried women royals do not wear tiaras until they are betrothed and more usually married. This specific portrait was done in 1842, two years after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were married. Also, Albert designed the tiara she wears in her hair especially for Victoria.
Additional Note: Julian Fellowes is also the creator and writer of Downton Abbey, Grosford Park and The English Game.
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