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A Royal Night Out ... or a real night out?
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We are on May 8th, 1940. It is the Victory Day in Europe, and London is ready to celebrate the end of the Second World War. In Buckingham Palace, King George Vl is preparing his speech to the nation. His words have to be optimistic, although he has serious doubts about the future and is not fond of public statements (let's remember the film The King's Speech). His two daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth (in the movie, Bel Powley i Sarah Gadon), want to join the London party. Their parents agree, whenever they remain incognito and go out in the company of two military escorts. And so it actually was. The two princesses mingled with the people, danced and returned to the palace at midnight. In their diaries, Princess Elisabeth described that night as "amusing" and Margaret wrote it was "as a Cinderella tale but the other way around."
Although we have all the elements to think of a usual historical film, it does not seem to be the central purpose of the director, Julian Jarrold. He puts the bubbly experiences of these two girls before other historical facts, and he tries to show that, in one night of freedom, these two young princesses learned more than they had done in the palace before. Stripped of their aristocratic role, they transmitted their boundless vitality, charm, and grace to all who crossed their path. Because of they either were seeking fun or were very naive, they had no qualms about breaking up with their princely behaviour. In the movie, the emotions that this hitherto unknown world provides both of them help create a series of funny situations.
With a fast pace and non-transcendent, intelligent dialogues, Jarrold builds a sincere, cheerful and very entertaining film, where we also have to highlight its gorgeous costumes, sets, and music.
Texts: Núria Farré. facebook@cinemaperaestudiants.cat
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