‘Red, White, & Royal Blue’ Movie Review: A Perfect Book-To-Film Adaptation And A Funny, Sexy, Heartfelt Rom-Com Knockout
Photo from Amazon Studios
From Joe Peltzer
Led by the incredible palpable chemistry of leads Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine, Red, White, & Royal Blue is a rom-com knockout, an expertly crafted faithful adaptation of the source material that delivers all of the feels.
In the film, Alex, the son of the President of the United States (Zakhar Perez), can’t stand Britain’s Prince Henry (Galitzine)… and the feeling is mutual. When the two are forced to come together to fix a disastrous public debacle, Alex and Henry find themselves discovering something more between them and, cue Taylor Swift, sparks fly. It’s difficult to express just how much of a stranglehold this book had on me years ago. Author Casey McQuiston crafted a funny, sexy, modern romance for the ages in a true page-turner, so when the film was announced I was struck with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Much to my delight, Red, White, & Royal Blue exceeds all expectations. Writer/Director Matthew Lopez makes the leap from stage to the big screen with no shortage of graceful skill, each scene beautifully filmed with fluid camera movements that seamlessly progress from scene to scene. Early flirting between Alex and Henry is depicted in a fun visual that plays with the characters reciting their texts while shown on screen, though they’re not really together. A New Year’s Eve party, a big turning point in their budding relationship features a stunning slow motion moment that isolates the two, gazing into each other’s eyes from across the room. There is a level of artistry and production value in this film’s construction that is truly remarkable and genre-defying.
None of it would work without the perfect performances from Zakhar Perez and Galitzine, each bringing their characters to life with precision. Both are utterly captivating in every scene, their shifts from witty humor to intimate touch authentic and smooth. Part of the appeal of Alex and Henry from McQuiston’s novel is that while they are living privileged lives, they are both humanized, especially when it comes to wrestling with their Queer identities. Alex identifies as bisexual and is learning more about himself every day as Henry identifies as gay and feels that this side of him must be locked away as a Royal. The two stars tap into that genuine struggle as their characters peel back their personal onions as the film rolls on. Then they peel off their clothes and hop on top of one another in sultry scenes that are tastefully portrayed. Their relationship is one that I instantly became invested in, often leading to a big smile on my face or tears in my eyes, usually flooded with pure joy.
The entire cast is superb, from Uma Thurman (Alex’s mother and POTUS) and Clifton Collins Jr. (Alex’s father) to the incredible Rachel Hilson (Alex’s friend Nora and the Vice President’s granddaughter) and Stephen Fry (King James III, Henry’s grandfather). Hilson is fantastic in every scene, usually putting Alex in check with her smart observations and real talk; we all should be so lucky as to have a friend like her. Through the characters portrayed by Thurman, Collins Jr., and Hilson in particular we get refreshing approaches to a same-sex courtship, a normalization of acceptance and support where most films dive into the taboo of non-straight sexual identify. It’s a nice juxtaposition to Henry’s struggles, presenting a more well-rounded story that ends on a positive note and is flush with hope. Red, White, & Royal Blue is the type of movie I wish would have been around when I was younger.
On top of the performances, throw in a banger of a soundtrack and the novel’s sharp humor infused throughout the film and you are bound to have a royally fun time. Most of this is thanks to the outstanding performance by Sarah Shahi as Zahra, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Thurman’s President Claremont. There is a scene where she discovers Henry hiding in Alex’s hotel room that is riotously funny thanks to Shahi’s impeccable comedic timing and commitment. She nails every one of her scenes and is a true standout. Put her in everything, damnit!
Yes, there are changes from the book to the screen. Alex’s parents aren’t divorced, the leader of the Royal family is gender-swapped, Alex’s sister June is missing (though qualities are thrown to Nora), and the political sub-plot is heavily watered down (Rafael Luna is missing). But all of this is to be expected; cuts are always made in adapting books to film, otherwise we’d have a 10 hour movie (which I would watch). Quite simply, the changes work. Lopez has said that the goal with this film is not an exact recreation of the novel, but to capture the spirit and feeling of the material, leaving the audience with the same feeling at the end of the movie as was felt when finishing the novel. Mission accomplished.
Red, White, & Royal Blue is like a giant warm hug, am iconic rom-com oozing with addictive energy and heart that secures it comfortably as the best of the genre in the last decade (at least). It is for sure one of the best films of 2023 and one of my favorite movies… perhaps ever. I’m obsessed!
Rating: 5/5
Red, White, & Royal Blue streams on Prime Video starting August 11th, 2023.
