The Young Victoria

April 14th
Canada, UK, USA
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Cast: Emily Blunt, Jim Broadbent,
Miranda Richardson, Paul Bettany,
Mark Strong, Rupert Friend
Run Time: 100 minutes Rating: PG

The Young Victoria stars the charismatic Emily Blunt as Victoria and follows her struggle to succeed as the ruler of England, a quest blocked by her mother, the Duchess of Kent, and her odious “adviser,” Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong. Widowed at a young age, the duchess has been convinced by Conroy that she must at all costs keep Victoria away from the court in order to preserve her own position – despite the complaints of King William IV (Jim Broadbent), Victoria’s uncle, who clearly wants his niece to succeed him. When Victoria is finally crowned, she’s utterly unaware of the potential ramifications ofher actions and allows herself to be misled by the dashing Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany), who may be using her youth and inexperience to further enhance his own position. Enter Prince Albert (Rupert Friend), who almost immediately charms Victoria by refusing to stick to the script given him by his scheming and Machiavellian relations. As love grows between the two, crucial questions remain unanswered: will Victoria listen to Albert’s counsel or will her loyalty to Melbourne win out?

“Anyone who complains they don’t make love stories like they used to will get a kick out of The Young Victoria”
– Derek Elley, Variety