Director: Julian Jarrold
Stars: Sarah Gadon, Emily Watson, Bel Powley, Jack Reynor, Rupert Everett
Released: 08th May 2015 (UK)
When: V.E. Day, 1945
Where: Buckingham Palace
Who: Princess Elizabeth & Princess Margaret
This royal night out starts in a classic black and white way, with close-ups on the future Queen intertwined with video footage from the actual day. We get to witness the announcement that the war is finally over and see the masses that gather in London to celebrate. Behind the doors of Buckingham Palace, celebrations are a bit calmer, but they are felt as much as outside. However, the princesses, now young women, want to experience first-hand the way their people celebrate.
The first part of the movie shows us, on a different scale, one of the dilemmas of every parent – letting their children out into the world. The differences between the two sisters can be spotted from their first interactions and, along the way, they keep on being underlined. Once out, Margaret decides to make the most out of the night and experience as much as possible, while Lizzy, even if excited, has a more withheld attitude, weighs everything up before doing it, and of course, in the end, this difference makes them take different paths.
For about two-thirds of the movie we are following, together with Elizabeth and Jack, Margaret’s adventures around London. From the initial club they went to, the full-of-people Trafalgar Square, a not-so-nice club in Soho and the final and top destination on the list – a club in Chelsea. Even if Elizabeth is mostly trying to get to her sister, she still has her own fun, mostly with Jack by her side and she manages to witness and analyse, as she promised her father, the real reaction of the people.
Julian Jarrold manages to fully recreate this important day with the help of over 400 extras and a very well selected cast. Emily Watson as Queen Elizabeth and Rupert Everett as King George are able to find the balance between the two roles they are playing – as King and Queen and as parents. We witness two sovereigns that need to accept to compromise without putting in danger their girls in order to see them happy and able to experience the real world. The Queen lets us see glimpses of a very powerful character that knows how to be a support for her husband and the King lets us witness his more human and fatherly side.
Bel Powley as Princess Margaret keeps us hooked and amused while the film keeps progressing. She is the soul of the party; inquisitive and charming, she faces everything with a smile and interest and is willing to give anything a try. She is deeply attached to her older sister and tries to contaminate Lilibet (as the family calls Elizabeth) with her joie de vivre. Both she and Jack manage to do that along the way, and help us discover glimpses of a sparkling Elizabeth. Jack, played by Jack Reynor, is the one that supports the princess along the way, hoping for another drink after all is sorted. Coming from a not-so privileged background, Jack represents the day to day man that from time to time might suffer serious portions of bad luck. He ends up enjoying his time with Lizzy and he is the reason she reveals her true identity in the end, finally dropping the incognito part.
Sarah Gordon as Princess Elizabeth is the perfect piece to complete the set. She shows us a powerful young woman that was proud to be able to help her people and to assist her father in his duties, but also someone eager to experience what a normal girl of her age would. She is calculated and logical, feminine and charming, values the opinions of the people that surround her and tries to achieve a balance that both she and her responsibilities would be comfortable with. She is like a unique pearl, protected by the rigor of its shell.
A Royal Night Out presents a vivid picture of V.E. Day and will, most likely, get you hooked with its joyful approach. After a grey period in history, we get to see everything through crystal clear colours as we follow the story of two princesses who decided to join in with the party. We dare say that the film is like a crowning jewel when it comes to its vibrant characters and plot.
