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A pair of charismatic leads and some wonderful performances from a stable of British character actors make "The Young Victoria" an enjoyable period drama for the Masterpiece Theater crowd. 

Jean-Marc Vallee's film covers the earliest years of Queen Victoria's rule - her courtship and eventual marriage to Prince Albert, the politics surrounding her ascent to the throne, and the experiences which helped to shape Britain's longest ruling monarch. Emily Blunt plays the inexperienced but strong-willed monarch against Rupert Friend's charming and earnest Albert. What could have been an otherwise rote film is lifted up by the like-ability of the leads. 

The film moves at a brisk pace - skipping months and sometimes years between scenes, but we get an interesting look at palace politics and intrigue. Torn between her mother, Parliament, and her husband, "The Young Victoria" traces her rise from a stubborn girl put in an overwhelming situation to a member of a deftly operating political partnership.   

While not revolutionary, "The Young Victoria" is a classy and charming historical drama. Though sometimes too conventional for its own good ( an opening narration includes the line "sometimes, even a palace can be a prison"), the film never feels tedious or dull as plot points come and go at lightning speed. For those who are drawn in by period pieces, this film is likely to please - it hits the right notes with its ornate costumes, beautiful sets, and well matched romantic leads.