Movie Review: The Young Victoria

I'm a sucker for a good costume drama, among my favorites are Sense and Sensibility, Jane Eyre, The House of Mirth, Gone With the Wind, and Amadeus. If his mood suits him, Wingnut will join in watching Amadeus or Gone With the Wind, but his tolerance ends there. I have to save my costumes for those all too frequent times when Wingnut is traveling. On those occasions I am afforded the opportunity to indulge in my favorite film genre, albeit alone.

I saw ads for this movie several months ago, and I knew I would need to save watching The Young Victoria for an evening when I was on my own. As a historical costume drama, this film did not disappoint. The Young Victoria follows Queen Victoria's controversial ascension to the throne, romance with Prince Albert Saxe-Coburn, and the turbulent early years of her reign. The costuming and settings were lavish. The love story was sweet and well acted. The story was compelling. It was a truly enjoyable film. After watching, I had to pull out my new copy of the Kings and Queens of England edited by Antonia Fraser and read about Queen Victoria myself. What a joy to find that fictionalization in the film was very minimal. Due to some subdued mature content, I would recommend this film for older teens and adults who love a good historical romance/drama.