Watching The Young Victoria

I'm taking a different route today and writing about a movie instead of a book. I watched The Young Victoria last night, starring Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend and featuring a favorite of mine, Paul Bettany. I can't say I expected much going into it, but I finished delighted that I had rented it. The story manages to balance cute with serious. While showing the blooming relationship between Albert and Victoria, you also witness the difficult issues she faced behind-the-scenes and the problems she had early in her reign.

Rupert Friend played Mr. Wickham in the Hollywood version of Pride & Prejudice, but I was surprised to find I actually liked him in this movie. I had to look up Emily Blunt because I knew I'd seen her before, and sure enough I had -- as the prickly Emily in The Devil Wears Prada (I think the different hair color threw me). There are many cute moments throughout the story between Albert and Victoria and they finish on a positive note. My only real complaint was that I felt it went on a bit too long. My interest started to wane toward the end. But it's a minor fault really on a scale of potential movie issues.

If you like to be entertained but also get emotionally attached to the characters, I'd recommend The Young Victoria as a good weekend rental.

Photo credit wallyg