The Young Victoria

This genteel biopic from producers Sarah Ferguson (Duchess of York) and Martin Scorsese—written by Julian Fellowes and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée—is a historical romance capturing Queen Victoria's formative years. In 1837, when vulnerable yet defiant 18-year-old Princess Victoria (Emily Blunt) succeeds her uncle, William IV (Jim Broadbent), as the British monarch, she finds herself enmeshed in a manipulative power struggle involving her over-protective mother, the Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson); the duchess's obstinate cohort, Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong); and the scheming prime minister, Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany). Meanwhile, her meddlesome uncle, King Leopold of Belgium (Thomas Kretschmann), dispatches his nephew, Prince Albert (Rupert Friend), to England with orders to woo and win Victoria's hand in marriage. What no one realizes is that the feisty, self-possessed sovereign and charismatic prince are a passionate love-match, soon settling into the brand new Buckingham Palace, where Victoria would reign for 63 years. Patrice Vermette's sumptuous production design and Oscar-winner Sandy Powell's lavish costumes dazzle, while the disarming Blunt delivers a subtly sensational performance. Anglophiles may also find it noteworthy that Ferguson's daughter, Princess Beatrice, a great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Victoria, plays one of the ladies-in-waiting. Although somewhat lacking in bodice-ripping intrigue, The Young Victoria is elegant and entertaining. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “making-of” featurette (6 min.), deleted and extended scenes (22 min.), a featurette on “The Real Queen Victoria” (8 min.), a “Lavish History: A Look at the Costumes and Locations” featurette (7 min.), featurettes on “The Coronation” (3 min.) and “The Wedding” scenes (3 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is the “movieIQ” trivia feature. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a winning film.] (S. Granger)