Red, White & Royal Blue
Red, White & Royal Blue [2023]
Starring: Nicholas Galitzine, Taylor Zakhar Perez, Uma Therman, Sarah Shahi
Direction by Matthew Lopez, adapted from the novel of the same name by Casey McQuiston
Language: English
This movie was one of the thousands that have been banned in my country, and so I originally had no knowledge of the movie's existence. However, TikTok to the rescue: it came on my radar from the social media site, and when a movie garners this much attention, especially from a younger audience, I was intrigued. Using a VPN, I watched this. And I didn't regret it.
To start off with a more subjective opinion, I really enjoyed the movie's general premise. Seeing any sort of representation for atypical relationships (I'm being careful with my wording given the place I live), is very rare, and I'm glad this was made purely for the message it served.
In my mind, I compare this movie to Barbie, only because I watched the two so close together. But this movie had everything that Barbie didn't. In Barbie, the pacing was off - there was almost too much comic relief to the point where I was bored, and left slightly uncomfortable.
However, in this production, this was a little different. It started off on a very comic note, which was great as it got me hooked, but had all the layers of complexity required in a movie labelled as a 'drama'. And these deeper layers unfolded steadily throughout the production, rather than being concentrated largely in one area as it was in Barbie. For this reason it was easier to be more engaged with the general plotline. Barbie relied too heavily on slapstick comedy, whereas this was more of a mix of both slapstick and farce, which I enjoyed. The more sarcastic humour was something that I came to really appreciate.
In terms of the acting, I can't really complain. Zakhar Perez was perfectly fine: his continued role as an upbeat character, full of life, brought a sense of vitality to the production. There were some moments of real contrast in his character, which I enjoyed, but I feel like more could have been done when his character entered more impactful moments. However, Galitzine was incredible - he delivered such a beautifully nuanced performance. However, there’s no denying that the two leads had incredible chemistry - they both could have performed horribly, and their natural charisma together would have saved them.
It’s difficult to be critical about this movie - it has ultimately been made for a young adult audience. However, the movie was written and directed nicely - the plot line was compelling and a nice watch. I loved the representation of an (atypical) romance, which resonated with me in particular. To have something as taboo as a relationship of the nature covered in the film portrayed in such an intimate, beautiful way was something that the film industry needs more of.
And for this, 10.
