The Young Victoria (www.the-usher.com)

"I thought I was going to lose you!"

Victoria (Blunt) learnt from an early age that she was special. Her father has passed away and her Uncle has no living heir, meaning when King William (Broadbent) ill health gets the better of him, she will become Queen. With her mother, the Duchess of Kent (Richardson) and Sir John Conroy (Strong) trying get her to agree to a regency that would make her mother Queen, Prime Minster Lord Melbourne (Bettany) quickly become her political confidant and her Uncle, King Leopold of Belgium (Kretschmann) trying to influence her choice in husband by introducing her to German Prince Albert (Friend), Victoria is becoming overwhelmed with all the responsibility.

Period dramas are a stalwart of the British film industry and those based on the lives of the Royals are films that are the most fascinating but can the story of the young Queen Victoria draw you in?

When it comes to chronicling the life of one the Britain's most famous and influential monarchs, it is usually the later life of Queen Victoria that has been covered on television and on film. Visions of the Queen dressed in black ruling at a time of the expansion of British Empire and the industrial revolution are common place but how she became Queen and her marriage to her beloved Albert came about haven't really been covered until now.

In 1837, as King William IV's health continues to deteriorate, the heir to the throne, his niece Victoria was about to turn eighteen years old. If the King died before she became that age however, her mother the Duchess of Kent and her stepfather Sir John Conroy were pushing for themselves to become the regency, ruling Britain until Victoria was deemed ready to become Queen. Fortunately King William survived to see his niece come of age and the rule of ascension take place making Victoria the Queen at eighteen years old. The main emphasis of the story however is the arranged marriage between Victoria and her Belgian cousin Albert, son of her Uncle, King Leopold I of Belgium.

The marriage of Victoria and Albert is one of the great romances of history. Even though their meeting was arranged, they are completed combatable and against all the odds, they fell in love. While the film is filled with politics and the pomp and circumstance of the period, it is the love story that fuels the fire of the movie and draws you into this fascinating and charming tale.

The love story would be nothing without two performances bringing it to life and in Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend we have just that. Emily Blunt's emergence onto the scene since her appearance in 'The Devil Wears Prada' in 2006 has propelled her into the major leagues and as Victoria this shows again that she is an actress with great ability. The same can be said about Rupert Friend. He is an actor of great presence and one that is destined to become a huge star. As we as the two excellent leads, the pair is supported by outstanding performances from Paul Bettany as Lord Melbourne, Miranda Richardson as Duchess of Kent, Jim Broadbent as King William, Thomas Kretschmann as King Leopold of Belgium and Mark Strong as Sir John Conroy.

The early life of Queen Victoria is a fascinating subject and makes 'The Young Victoria' a must watch for all historical fans and people interested in the British monarchy. The only problem is that the movie ends just as you are getting into the story, making you wish it were longer or hope that a sequel will come along. This is a sign of a good movie and one that is filled with the performances and splendour you expect from a British costume drama.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is good.

BONUS FEATURES

The Making of (5.39 mins)
Producers Graham King, Dennis O'Sullivan and Sarah Ferguson and actor Jim Broadbent talk about bringing the story of the early life of Queen Victoria to the silver screen.

The Coronation (2.42 mins)
Historical advisor Alastair Bruce takes about recreating the coronation of Victoria in 1837.

Lavish History: A Look at the Costumes and Locations (7.32 mins)
Director Jean-Marc Vallée, production designer Patrice Vernette, costume designer Sandy Powell talk about the costumes and recreating the look of 1837.

The Real Queen Victoria (7.24 mins)
Producer Sarah Ferguson and stars Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Miranda Richardson and Paul Bettany talk about the real Queen and the story of her young life.

The Wedding (2.31 mins)
Writer Julian Fellowes talk about recreating the wedding of Victoria and Albert on screen

Deleted Scenes (21.42 mins)
Watch a montage of deleted scenes but unfortunately there is no introduction or commentary to explain why these scenes were removed.

Trailer
Watch the trailer for 'The Young Victoria' that previewed the movie in cinemas and online

Previews
Watch the trailers for 'Last Chance Harvey' and 'Miss Pettigrew lives for a day'

OVERALL

The DVD treatment for 'The Young Victoria' is one that fans should enjoy. The lack of a commentary is disappointing but the featurettes cover most aspects of the film production and the deleted scenes are worth a watch.

DVD

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2009