The Young Victoria
How long has the Hawaii International Film Festival been around? I remember when it was whipped up by Jeanette Paulson in 1981, when we knew mostly as the “Story Lady of Kaimuki.” Getting close to three decades old, and always a high point of the year, but pretty intense.
Never know what you’ll bump into. For example, the two films illustrated here, “The Young Victoria” and “Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl.” “Victoria” concerns the budding romance between Princess Victoria and Prince Albert in Regency England and her subsequent ascension to the throne. The first half is devoted to a stunningly well-scripted historical exposition, getting us up to speed on the ins and outs of royal romancing in post-Napoleonic Europe, and the second half is essentially a warm and glowing romance that never feels forced. The script is by Julian Fellowes, who earlier gave us “Gosford Park,” and I wish he had gotten rewrite duties on “Barbarian Princess.” Emily Blunt has a core of steel as the title role, and she’s aided by the capable Paul Bettany as overbearing Lord Melbourne, but it’s Rupert Friend as Albert who makes the movie click; quiet, arch, proud, curious.
As near as I can tell, it’s historically accurate with one interesting twist. One of several actual assassination attempts on Victoria is portrayed, and Albert takes a bullet intended for her. In reality, as Albert blocked the shot as the gun misfired. Fellowes says he altered the actual event because, otherwise, the scene might play as a joke.
The entire length of “Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl” is a joke, and not every one will get it. It’s made by the same folks that make the “Tokyo Gore Police,” and they’re clearly trying to become the Troma of Japan. It’s a cartoon splatterfest with gallons of blood spilled. Sometimes it actually rains blood. The humor is so broad that it included high-school girls competing in televised wrist-slashing competitions. If you can handle it, the subscript includes send-ups of Japanese girl clubs like kogal, ganguro and lolita. Frankly, these teenie subcultures are weird as anything in the movie.
Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl
haha. Young Victoria’s neck looks too good to bite.
Honestly, I don’t understand the fascination with vampires. When we rented the movie via Netflix, I watched Twilight for just 20 minutes before wandering off to do something else. David, on the other hand, said it was the love story of the century. He really liked the movie.
Oh, puhleeeze!
“he altered the actual event because, otherwise, the scene might play as a joke.” as opposed to barbarian princess which now that most actual events were altered, the while thing plays as a joke. – “subscript includes send-ups of Japanese girl clubs”. Funny, parodying a parody that is already in reality a sendup of reality.
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