Red White and Royal Blue Review: A Story of Love And Inclusion That Escapes Any Stereotype
Cast: Taylor Zakhar Perez, Nicholas Galitzine, Uma Thurman, Clifton Collins Jr
Director: Matthew Lopez
Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 3.5/5 (three and a half stars)
Red White and Royal Blue, the film based on the best seller of the same name by Casey McQuiston, to be released on Prime Video from August 11, 2023, is added to the list of rom-com to watch. The unusual protagonists of this romantic comedy are the Prince of England Henry (played by Nicholas Galitzine) and the son of the President of the United States (played by Uma Thurman), Alex (Taylor Zakhar Perez). The two met years earlier at an event on climate change, an episode that left a bitter taste for both of them, but having to participate in the political life of their countries it is inevitable for the two to meet. And that’s exactly what happens at the wedding of the heir to the throne of England Philip, Henry’s older brother, to which Alex is also invited. Determined to try to settle hostilities, Alex approaches Henry and rather than communicating with him begins to annoy him, the annoyance becomes a fight with comic traits and the two end up on the ground together with the huge and expensive wedding cake.
Having become a public case, the two are forced by their entourage to attend various public meetings together to demonstrate to the public that they are great friends and that there is no political friction. Just five years ago Love, Simon was released, the first film produced by a Hollywood major to focus on a love story between gay teenagers. The good reception of this adaptation of Becky Albertalli’s book gave rise to a television series set in the same universe, but also to a greater interest from production companies in making films or series with a similar theme. In the latter period, the second season of the beloved Heartstopper was also released on Netflix and, this Friday 11 August, it’s time to stop by Prime Video, which presents a preview of the film Red, White and Royal Blue, based on the popular novel by Casey McQuiston and a charming romantic comedy that never fails to entertain. As we will see in our review of Red, White and Royal Blue, this new Prime Video original brings us closer to the reality, fears and difficulties of a same-sex relationship in a social context that is anything but favorable. A story that invites the public to love above all conventions, what the world might think, overcoming all kinds of prejudices and obstacles.
Red White and Royal Blue Review: The Story Plot
Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez), son of the President of the United States (Uma Thurman) and the British Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) share charm, charisma and everyone admires and respects them but, deep down, they despise each other. As fate would have it, the two meet at Henry’s brother’s royal wedding, where they argue and end up spilling the priceless £75,000 wedding cake on themselves. Social media and the press speak only of the incident, which risks causing an international diplomatic crisis. Alex’s mother, amid the election campaign to be re-elected president, decides to send her son to London to “repair the damage” and make the world believe that he and Henry are great friends. From then on, the two try to clean up their image with interviews.
The film delves into the conventions and hermeticism of the British monarchy, in this case completely unprepared to face a gay relationship like the one depicted. Henry, living a passionate relationship with Alex, feels reborn, as if he were another person at his side, and enjoying anonymity, far from the “prison” in which he was forced to live. But, when their relationship comes to light and becomes public knowledge, he feels his world collapsing, questioning the true meaning of an old-fashioned monarchy in the 21st century; Alex, meanwhile, sees her relationship and her mother’s electoral career in jeopardy, even though the candidate is sympathetic towards her son’s relationship with Henry from the start, which she immediately welcomes with great affection.
Red, White and Royal Blue Review and Analysis
Although the themes are current and treated with due regard, Red, White and Royal Blue remains a romantic comedy whose main engine is the love story between the two. The sketches, the chain of events, and the gaze adopted remain those of a light and fun rom-com. To receive deserved attention is the evolution of the romantic relationship of the two protagonists which, as in the best traditions, begins with the two who cannot stand each other and develops into a relationship based on complicity and affection. This a development that in many other rom-com can be predictable and, in some cases, even banal, but becomes crucial when the characters are queer. The approach to these issues is undergoing a real evolution: queer characters were non-existent or reduced to stereotyped caricatures, often the comic sidekick of the group or the straight protagonist.
In the last two decades, certain themes and characters are more common, but many queer stories are written on unimaginative plots, many of them tragic and dramatic, and if there is a romantic story it is based solely on the physical attraction between the two and not about a real love. Lopez, on the contrary, focuses precisely on this last aspect, giving Henry and Alex a realistic narrative parable in which the romantic key is the nerve center. Red, White, and Blue Blood focuses on humorous, light-hearted writing that highlights both the romantic aspects of two young boys falling in love and the hardships they face. The best aspect of the film, in addition to the already praised screenplay, is the interpretation of the two actors between whom a strong chemistry was born, essential for staging a convincing love story.
The less convincing aspect is that linked to the budget which is reduced to stage a story in which the characters have a prominent position in society: the backdrops used are fictitious at first glance and scenes in which there should be a crowd of people shouting are only supported by an acoustic effect, but the actual crowd is never framed. The not-stellar budget also seems to be the reason why Red, White, and Blue Blood is not a miniseries although the story lends itself more to a serial-type narrative, Lopex and co-writer Ted Malawer are to be commended in just two hours manage to place the pieces in the right places and to follow all the storylines.
In this sense, we are by no means dealing with sloppy work that merely tries to squeeze the popularity of the original novel – even if the story of Alex and Henry probably works better on the pages of a novel than in a television adaptation. Despite being an LGTBI romantic comedy, completely updated to the sensibilities of the 21st century, Red, White and Royal Blues undoubtedly appropriates all the clichés of this classic genre of cinema and literature. Nevertheless, he adds a touch of personal humor that makes it very pleasant to watch, as well as awareness of the extreme importance of giving visibility to these new stories. Another detail that plays in Red, White and Royal Blue‘s favor is that its protagonists are not teenagers but young adults, therefore they express a certain maturity which helps to give greater balance to the unexpected love story that arises between the two. In the end, what the film offers is a story of discovering one’s feelings and accepting who one is beyond gossip and what others may think of us: all with a light dose of a fairy tale, an even lighter dose of political reality, and, above all, a story well thought out and best played by its two protagonists.
The path that Alex and Henry take will lead them to discover a lot about themselves and each other, finding new balances and developing a completely unexpected relationship. Throughout the film, stereotyped elements come into play several times that no American comedy ever seems to remove, such as the image of the American who is a little rough and a little ignorant, in the face of a polite and cultured Englishman. It matters little whether it is the British royal family: the stars and stripes perspective of the British always coincides closely with the European image which does not place the subjects of King Charles as a group of ladies & gentlemen only, choosing to defer the use of clichés due to the position held by the English character. Although there is a public reputation to defend on both sides, the Prince’s position seems to be the most difficult: Alex’s recklessness is not the same measure that a royal can afford to use.
Henry is confronted with history, tradition, with power and knows that the full realization of his identity as an individual can never take priority over his royal duties. One therefore wonders what would happen today if the English crown were to face a similar case or, even, if it hasn’t already happened in the past. In Red, White and Royal Blue you play with imagining an impossible love story because it happened to two people who could never love each other, but who nowadays would have all the tools and support to do it. We are not called to judge but to respect, above any convention, tradition, or protocol. A light but not trivial film that manages to integrate important issues into the comedy, without taking away their importance but rather adding new nuances.
Red, White and Royal Blue Review: The Last Words
In their sweetness, Alex and Henry will conquer the hearts of those who are already passionate about the novel on which the film is based, but also of those who will know their love story for the first time, between England and the United States, monarchy and politics, apparently unquestionable differences that only underline the uniqueness and stubbornness of a relationship that deserves to be told. In Red, White and Royal Blue you play while imagining an impossible love story because it happened to two people who could never love each other, but who nowadays would have all the tools and support to do it. We are not called to judge but to respect, above any convention, tradition, or protocol. A light but not trivial film that manages to integrate important issues into the comedy, without taking away their importance but rather adding new nuances.
Red White and Royal Blue Review: A Story of Love And Inclusion That Escapes Any Stereotype - Filmyhype
Director: Matthew Lopez
Date Created: 2023-08-11 17:39
3.5
Pros
- Positive representation of LGBTQ+ relationships
- Witty and heartwarming story
- Diverse cast of characters
- Fun and escapist watch
Cons
- Lack of depth in some areas
- Unrealistic portrayal of the royal family
- Can be predictable at times
