Watched "The Young Victoria" the other night, and really enjoyed it. Emily Blunt was well cast as the young monarch, so sheltered by her overprotective mother and her mother's ambitious comptroller, that she had only the barest knowledge of the outside world. Forced to go down stairs holding someone's hand from the time she was a child and to share her mother's rooms, she was still doing it at 18. Her domineering mother, the Duchess of Kent, kept her well away from what she considered the loose court of King William IV; she was a virtual captive at Kensington Palace.Young and inexperienced when she became Queen, she was determined to rule over those who had control over her life. She is helped by Lord Melbourne, her Prime Minister (Paul Bettany), but then becomes far too dependent on him, which creates friction in her government. After she meets Albert, she draws strength and courage from his love for her, and after they marry, she eventually realizes his worth as an equal partner in running the country. Blunt is good, portraying Victoria as a young, vibrant, enthusiastic and untried monarch--a much different picture than what most people have of Queen Victoria. She not only shows Victoria as an intelligent thinker with true concern for the working class and the poor, but also lets her show emotions and flaws. Miranda Richardson as the Duchess is excellent; she only wanted the best for her child, but at the same time she meant to keep her under her thumb. Mark Strong as Sir John Conroy is appropriately grasping and menacing. Rupert Friend does a credible job as Albert (he even resembles the real Albert), the minor German prince who Victoria marries and who helps her mature into the queen they knew she had the capacity to be. Lavish costumes and sets provide a feel for the time, and the script really moves the story along at a good pace. It's not a long film, and it feels shorter than it actually is. While I'm not totally convinced of its accuracy in all aspects (this is Hollywood after all), it is an entertaining enough movie that gives a good and positive portrayal of an English monarch that is generally thought of as old, dumpy and dressed in perpetual black (which she was like that, only much later). Engrossing, beautifully filmed, well directed and acted, it really provides a good picture of Victoria early in her reign.