Rating: Summary: Excellent Performances Review: I was riveted - what else can I say? Jonathan Firth's portrayal of Albert was simply stunning. (Talent certainly runs in the Firth family - Jonathan is the brother of Colin Firth.) But the gem of the whole production was Victoria Hamilton's multi-layered Queen Victoria. Her progression from a somewhat naive girl to the indefatigable monarch was seamless. I was particularly struck by her facial expressions which were so revealing. The chemistry between Victoria and Albert was believable and enjoyable. By the end of the film I cared about the characters and their relationship - and that's the mark of a great film.I had but one problem...there were times when I scratched my head wondered about the political issues of the time. The script makes some assumptions about the audiences' historical knowledge - so I found my self a little confused once or twice. That aside, I can't say enough good things about the film. The supporting cast of characters was impressive: Diana Rigg, John Wood (as the Duke of Wellington, no less!) and Peter Ustinov to name a few. One of my favorite supporting performances was David Suchet's Baron Stochmar. It was nice to see Suchet sans moustache and out of his Poirot persona - he's immensely talented. All in all a great film. A&E delivers another classic.
Rating: Summary: Actors needed deportment lessons Review: I watch historical TV series primarily for the sumptuous sets and costumes (this is not the place to seriously study history). "Victorian & Albert" has gorgeous sets and costumes, but I really wish they'd given the actors some lessons in period movement. In particular the one who played Queen Victoria. The real queen never had a tiny waist, hollow cheekbones, and prominent shoulder blades--even at 18. But at least it's understandable that the producers wanted her to conform to a modern ideal of beauty. The actress's movements, however, are atrocious-and she's never still. She has a heavy (audible!) tramping walk, she wriggles her arms, she hunches and shrugs her shoulders, she has a million little pouts and grimaces. And on top of it all there's her prolonged, husky giggle. Put her back in "Sex & the City," or wherever she came from, and back in a bathing suit, or whatever she's used to wearing.
Rating: Summary: not only educational but enjoyable. Review: I will admit that i am not an avid A&E watcher but something told me that i should watch this movie. I wasn't very familiar with Queen Victoria. All I knew was that she reined successfully and that she was not too attractive. Well this movie definitley changed my awareness. I haven't seen the main actors before but i believe they played victoria and albert very well. Jonathan Firth has it in his blood, since he is related to the wonderful actor Colin Firth, so i was not too suprised at his performance. Victoria Hamilton, the actress who plays queen victoria, was a delight to watch. there were many facts in this movie that i was not aware of, but were interesting to see. Watching albert and victoria fall steadily in to love is brilliant. you can see the way albert doubts, but eventually falls head over heels in love with her. All in all a great film telling the lives victoria and albert.
Rating: Summary: A Great Period Piece Review: I'm sure if I was a Queen Victoria historian, I would probably have given this a lower number for the innaccuracies presented as fact. Since I'm not, and since it seemed to cover what I do know of her fairly accurately, I'm giving this movie a high mark. First off, I happen to really enjoy period pieces that can pull the viewer in and help them to understand life from another time in history. Braveheart, Gettysburg, Three Soverigns For Sarah, Charles Dickens/Jane Austen movies, and even films about more recent times such as Enemy At The Gates and American Graffiti. If they keep them in their proper time and place (clothing, speech, sets, etc.), I'm glued. (Titanic was almost perfect except for the "Can I bum a smoke" line DiCaprio made after stopping Rose from jumping off the ship). Victoria and Albert caught my attention right off and held it til the end. It not only brought two historical figures to life, but it made them both human, with being vulnerable to human feelings and emotions. One can imagine how Victoria felt when she angrily spoke to her mother as THE QUEEN. One can also imagine how her mother felt being spoken to in that manner by her daughter THE QUEEN. How about Albert's feelings when Victoria poo poo'd him when he would try to help her with her duties, instead giving him a frivolous task to keep him "happy." I would have liked to have seen more of the relationship that Victoria and Albert had with their children, which was only touched upon and glossed over. Also, it would have been nice to see Victoria's affect first hand on the everyday people of England - her subjects - as she ruled for the majority of the 19th century. After all, a whole period in time was named for her. But that would have increased the time of this movie from four hours to six hours, I'm sure - not that I would have minded. I feel this is probably the best version out there of these two larger than life figures. A&E, Masterpiece Theater, and others of this ilk always do a marvelous job when it comes to the historical period pieces, and Victoria and Albert is right up there with the best of them. It's well worth the money.
Rating: Summary: Armchair Reviewer Review: Impressive, touching, sentimental, easily accepted by those not of royal background and suitable for the eyes of average audi- ience
Rating: Summary: The Art of Personification Review: One of the reasons I love so many of the BBC productions is because they can turn someone foreign in concept, like in this case the incredibly famous Queen Victoria and her almost forgotten husband Prince Albert, into characters you bond with and are sad to leave. For one of the first times in recent production history BBC has created a film about real people, and made it touching and incredibly interesting. Authentically costumed, scripted, and filmed, this incredibly well acted film brings to life two of history's most influential characters and makes them human. Something hard to do when they lived in a different time, place, and are in that untouchable zone of fame. It's a love story of an arranged and somewhat accepted marriage between Victoria and Albert, and how they grow to love, respect, and ultimately need each other in life and politics. They shrink 20+ years of history into 4 hours quite nonchalantly and in a captivating and bright manner. It also makes for a very interesting history lesson. I daresay I never knew that much about Albert, and he really impacted our world and what is known as the Victorian era (hey, we wouldn't have Christmas trees without him!) This story is sweet, poignant, runs smoothly, and though very different, is a worthy descendant of it's BBC predecessors. You'll be hesitant to leave it.
Rating: Summary: This is a beautiful love story Review: The first time I watched Victoria & Albert was on A&E. I only watched about twenty minutes. So when I bought the movie, I took a chance on not liking it. But I quickly became satisfied. Johnathan Firth did wonderfully as Albert of Saxe-Coburg, and as did the actress that played Victoria. An epic love story is one where the characters can stand the test of time, and Victoria and Albert did so. Just watch on A&E if you don't feel as chancing as I did.
Rating: Summary: This is a beautiful love story Review: The first time I watched Victoria & Albert was on A&E. I only watched about twenty minutes. So when I bought the movie, I took a chance on not liking it. But I quickly became satisfied. Johnathan Firth did wonderfully as Albert of Saxe-Coburg, and as did the actress that played Victoria. An epic love story is one where the characters can stand the test of time, and Victoria and Albert did so. Just watch on A&E if you don't feel as chancing as I did.
Rating: Summary: Entertaining Review: The story of Victoria and Albert was a very good adaptation of the life of the longest reinging queen of England and her cousin-husband Albert. The main characters have alot of chemistry together which was interesting to watch. All the acters in it were excellent.
Rating: Summary: Entertaining Review: The story of Victoria and Albert was a very good adaptation of the life of the longest reinging queen of England and her cousin-husband Albert. The main characters have alot of chemistry together which was interesting to watch. All the acters in it were excellent.
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