A Royal Night Out

The future queen has her first and last hedonistic hurrah in this fanciful concoction from Becoming Jane director Julian Jarrold that works like a reverse Cinderella. Set in 1945, it follows the two British princesses, sensible Elizabeth (Canadian actress Sarah Gadon) and giddy, pinwheeling Margaret (Bel Powley) as they take to the heaving streets of London to celebrate VE Day among the masses. The exquisitely sensitive, appropriately porcelain Gadon conveys a keen sense of the burden of duty, Powley is a hoot as she flirts with disaster, while Rupert Everett brings a pleasing hint of vulnerability to King George VI. The script specialises in hollow, patronising sentiments yet there's great fun to be had in Margaret's oblivious association with criminals. However, the concept - supposedly based on a kernel of truth - feels desperately stretched and, seen through the eyes of the curious, alienated Elizabeth, the populace is rendered as bizarrely quaint. So light it's near flyaway, but grounded by canny casting and heartfelt performances, A Royal Night Out is a sugary shot of pure fantasy.