Movie review: The Royal Night Out 

Review by Gerti

The movie “A Royal Night Out” turns the Cinderella story on its head. Instead of being the story of ordinary little girls who want to be princesses, and have their wishes fulfilled, this is the story of two little princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret, who wish very much for at least one night to be ordinary girls. And just like in the classic fairy tale, their wish comes true!

It all happened on the night the Allies claimed victory in Europe, when all of Great Britain was celebrating, and as opposed to standing on the balcony or looking out the windows of Buckingham Palace, the two teenaged girls beg their parents, King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, to go out among the people. Their mother refuses, but the King gives them permission. Their mother was known to be overly strict on many occasions, including the royal couple’s relationship with former King Edward VIII, who resigned because he was in love with unacceptable American divorcee Wallis Simpson. In this case, the Queen arranges for army chaperones for the girls, and expects them to attend a dead-boring party at the Ritz, attended by a lot of old peers. But they want to be with people their own age.

When the chaperones heads are turned by pretty girls at another party, they unwittingly allow the girls too much freedom. First Margaret sneaks out, then Elizabeth. They jump on different buses, and their long night on the town begins. Margaret of course gets hooked up with various military men, one of whom slips a mickey into her drink. Elizabeth tries to keep up and keep track of her younger and more irresponsible sibling, and in the process befriends a disenchanted naval pilot. The pair begin a friendship, and do things Elizabeth would not ordinarily do, like go into questionable clubs and dance together.

The story as told in this film is enchanting. The music is from the era, and among the best parts of the show. But the acting performances, by Sarah Gadon and Bel Powley as the two slumming sisters, are wonderful. Powley especially gives Margaret a lascivious naivete that is charming. Jack Reynor plays Jack, Elizabeth’s AWOL pilot, and he is both handsome and heart-warming as he tells the Princess Royal about staying with his dying friend, which led to his disenchantment with the war effort and the upper class. Rupert Everett is unrecognizable as the king, and Emily Watson plays a very stern and stubborn queen. This is a delightful story of the British royal family in the 1940s, at its most noble and its most human. I cried at various scenes, but found it hard to believe that someone who lives in a glorious palace could ever want to be “ordinary”, even for one night. The director does a great job of conveying the spirit of the 1940s with wonderful costumes, music and sets. This delightful piece of nostalgia and foiled romance provides magical entertainment for the whole family, with a great screenplay written by Trever de Silva and Kevin Hood.