.jeri.

The same day I went to see Broken Embraces, I also saw The Young Victoria. I wish I would have known they were going to be more popular, since I drove out to Irvine to see them. They both ended up playing in Brea. Personally, I feel that The Young Victoria is stealing Bright Star's thunder during this Oscar season. That isn't to say that it's a bad movie, but as far as period pieces from the fall season, the acting, costuming, art direction, music, and pretty much all other aspects of Bright Star were superior.

This movie picks up with Victoria (Emily Blunt) in the months before she becomes a queen. She has been brought up in a lonely home and feels much like a chess piece waiting to be placed on the board. The adults in her life have plans for her, but no one takes her seriously, especially since no one has invested in her political education. She knows the feminine arts, but those don't give her much guidance when a kingdom is placed into her hands. When that time does come, there are many people in Victoria's life who would like to sway her opinion to match their own. Prince Albert (Rupert Friend) is sent to woo her. Both he and she seem resistant to the idea of being set up, but both seem to like each other. Victoria struggles with whether Albert cares for her or cares for her position.

I appreciated the efforts to make a movie that showed the complexities of the political situation surrounding Victoria as well. Yet again, I regret that I never took British history in school, because I can't weigh in on the accuracy of the plot; I really need to add a history book to my Amazon wish list. I understand that this aspect of the movie was important to setting up how Victoria perceived Albert, but it did almost feel as if there were two different movies that could have been made.

As a romance, I liked the easy way the two main actors approached their characters. They both provide a light and natural feel that spares the movie a stuffy atmosphere (although I've heard several reviews that disagree with me on that). Their romance grows out of friendship, and isn't exaggeratedly passionate. Albert's approach to the relationship is a refreshing one. He scolds Victoria for not letting him be her partner, not because he wants political power, but because he believes he can team up with her to serve the people best.

The Young Victoria is visually pleasant to watch, but there are some stylistic flares that I would have changed. Tee movie functions for the most part (95% of the time) as a straightforward period piece, but then all of a sudden, it will feel like a music video for 15 seconds. Unfortunately I saw this film over a month ago, so it's hard to remember the details, but I think there was some use of slow motion and sound that felt out of place. It was enough to stick in my mind, but apparently not enough for me to remember clearly.

At any rate, I felt that this was a good movie, as opposed to a great one. I liked the performances all around (I should note here that Paul Bettany's portrayal of Lord Melbourne was particularly notable), and enjoyed the aspects I've already noticed. I wonder: would I have liked this movie more if I hadn't seen Bright Star a couple of months earlier? The answer is, most likely, yes. Where one has some pretty gardens, the other turns every scene into some sort of gorgeous painting. Where one has some solid performances, the other has emotionally-involving ones. Where one has a decent score, the other is the one I purchased. So, while The Young Victoria steals the spotlight from Bright Star at the award shows, Bright star has stolen the spotlinght from The Young Victoria for me. Poor Victoria. In another year, I might have cared for you more.