Martin Scorsese Produced An Underseen Emily Blunt Movie Perfect For Period Drama Fans

The chart-topping success of Netflix's "The Crown" proves that audiences are fascinated by the British monarchy. However, not every project about the Royal Family has enjoyed widespread success. This brings us to Jean-Marc Vallee's "The Young Victoria," an overlooked drama starring Emily Blunt as the eponymous Queen. The film was produced by Martin Scorsese, and it boasts an all-star cast that includes Paul Bettany, Rupert Friend, and Mark Strong.

As the title suggests, "The Young Victoria" follows Blunt's character during her rise to power and falling in love with Prince Albert (Friend). The script was penned by Julian Fellowes, a creator renowned for penning great period dramas about society's elites. If you like "Downtown Abbey," "Gosford Park," and likeminded titles, you should add this one to your watchlist.

Despite the involvement of Blunt, Scorsese, and Fellowes, "The Young Victoria" underperformed at the box office. Be that as it may, the movie earned good reviews, as evidenced by its 75% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Blunt's performance was widely praised by the critics, and costume designer Sandy Powell won an Academy Award for her contributions to the project. It's also the type of movie that might change some folks' perception of the Queen of Britain.

Let's face it — being the United Kingdom's top Royal requires one to be dutiful, regal, and serious. Regular folks don't always get to see the Queen or King's true personalities, but "The Young Victoria" showcases the titular character as a complex individual. Getting to explore this part of her personality excited Emily Blunt, as the actress explained in an interview with NPR:

"There were anecdotes from people at court who would say that she would laugh so hard at dinner that food would fall out of her mouth. She was a party girl — she was rebellious."

Blunt also noted that she was fascinated by Victoria's life story. Growing up, the Royal was kept sheltered and isolated from other people, forcing her to become strong-minded in a world where people wanted to use her for their own benefit. What's more, Blunt believes that her romance with Prince Albert was pure and genuine — a subject she feels the movie covers with aplomb. As Blunt told NPR:

"They really were soul mates — they were sort of twin flames that were essentially perfect together, and he was by far her greatest achievement. For an arranged marriage to become such a passionate love affair was so rare — and I think she definitely didn't imagine it would go that way."

If you like romance in your period dramas, this is the movie for you. "The Young Victoria" might be underseen in the grand scheme of things, but it doesn't have to remain that way forever. It's currently streaming on BritBox, and is rentable at several popular digital retailers.