Beautiful

Rating: 8/10 (27 April 2011)

When most people think of Queen Victoria, they probably think a fat little prudish woman. That was certainly her image as she got on in years but by focusing this on when she is a young woman (and played by the beautiful, slim Emily Blunt) she definitely has more appeal to audiences. The movie is gorgeous, beautifully acted (loved Mark Strong as Sir John Conroy. He's much better playing villains like this and Lord Blackwood in Sherlock Holmes), and really romantic. As a historical work alone it's probably not the best but as a historical romance it's great! The costumes are all really eye-catching. I was surprised at how much I liked them! It's my least favorite era in fashion history and most of Victoria's gowns are borderline gaudy (she is the queen after all!), yet the costume designer and Emily Blunt managed to make them work.