MANILA, Philippines ? The image of Queen Victoria that often comes to mind is that of a plump matron in widow?s weeds, serious and even dour. What we often forget about Britain?s longest reigning monarch, however, is the fact that, before she was the Widow of Windsor, she was actually the youngest reigning queen in her country?s history. She ascended to the throne when she was only 18, and it is those early years of her reign, as well as her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert, that the romantic, richly detailed ?The Young Victoria? brings to life.

Produced by Martin Scorsese and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, the film is a light, old-fashioned and straightforward biopic with a snappy script, vivid visuals and excellent performances. If you?re looking for deep insights into the Victorian age and its mores and challenges, however, this is not the film for you.

Abrupt end

?The Young Victoria,? as its title implies, focuses on the person of the queen who, as played by the brilliant Emily Blunt, easily holds your attention from the beginning of the film up to its abrupt end. While there are glimpses into the age that the queen?s reign would help define, for the most part, the movie tells its story from the point of view of its protagonists who, while nominally heads of state, lead lives of great confinement.

The film isn?t as charged as the ?Elizabeth? biopics starring Cate Blanchett?partly because of the well-mannered script and its even more well-mannered subject?so, if you?re looking for blood, guts and bodice-ripping scenes, this isn?t the film for you, either. If you appreciate fine, nuanced performances and a fast-paced narrative peopled with engaging characters, however, you?re in for a treat.

Blunt?s young Victoria is a vibrant character who already has that famous spine of steel, which at the time is still tempered by a strain of suppressed girlish giddiness and youthful naivete. She dominates every scene she?s in, though her fellow actors strive to give equally well-rounded performances.

Rupert Friend, with an authentic-sounding German accent, plays the straight-backed Prince Albert (to whom the actor actually bears a resemblance) and manages to hold his own opposite his talented costar.

Domineering mother

Among the solid portrayals strewn throughout, the most notable are those of Miranda Richardson, who plays Victoria?s domineering mother; Paul Bettany, who ages a few decades to play Prime Minister Lord Melbourne; Harriet Walter as the long-suffering dowager queen, and Jim Broadbent as the sloshed, embarrassingly frank, but still kind King William IV.

History buffs will no doubt quibble over inaccurate and embellished details, but ?The Young Victoria,? all told, sticks mainly to acknowledged facts and has a solid, authentic ring.