Movies

The Plot: A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert.

THE BUZZ: Upstart indie distributor Apparition, headed by beloved former Picturehouse honcho Bob Berney, beat out the Weinsteins and a couple other competitors for the rights to Jean-Marc Vallee's follow-up to the kinda-weirdly-excellent C.R.A.Z.Y.. But Vallee won't be dealing with queer-glam Canadian teens this time around; instead, he's focused on the even-more-youthful British monarch. The picture didn't exactly dominate in the UK, but I think there's a generation or two of older women who'd flock to this, depending on how it's marketed -- a specialized male audience is ready to be tapped as well. I've heard it drags, though! So maybe a slight re-cut from the UK version. Something tells me, sight unseen, that Jim Broadbent will be positioned for awards nominations here, in addition to the obvious trumping for Ms. Blunt.