None of you, I'm quite sure, will be shocked to learn that I am gay. This is appropriate to mention only because of the nature of this particular film, RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE. I am not here to tell you the plot, or comment too much on the writing or production. Instead, I want to talk about the thrill of seeing two hot guys kissing and making out in an expensive production.
Taylor Zakhar Perez, this year's version of Justin Baldoni, has finally hit the big time with this Amazon Pictures original. There's another steamboat in the movie (Nicholas Galitzine), but believe me, this is Taylor's show. Tall and lean and beautiful, the man commands the screen from start to finish in his first starring vehicle. He's so hot, in fact, that the real mystery here is why he isn't already married and trailing a line of disappointed ex-suitors! Poor Galitzine seems nervous and grumpy much of the time, probably because he was expecting to be the Hot One. Sorry! Maybe next time.
The book RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE by non-binary author Casey McQuiston is just your basic romance novel containing all the requisite steps to the happy ending: Cute Meeting, Initial Hatred, Unexpected Sexual Attraction, Kissing, Separation, Complications, Tears & Pouting, Solemn Slow-Motion Sex, A Last-Minute Desperate Journey, Confrontations, Happy Ending. McQuiston, like most females unfamiliar with the male sex, seems totally in the dark about the way lustful young men ACTUALLY behave together once the clothes are off, but no matter. We're not here for a lesson on sex, we're here for Romance. Luckily, Zakhar Perez's Alex has enough flame-thrower sex-appeal to ignite even Galitzine's wet-kindling Henry. The two men certainly kiss convincingly enough, although I'm still not convinced there was any actual wood on the set, if you know what I mean.
Others can talk about what's in the film, but I want to take a minute to mention some vitally important things that are NOT in this movie, including: a fake wife/girlfriend; a tragic deadly disease; Straight White Males; gay bashers who kill one of the men; and most blessedly, Religion. Finally! A gay romance without one mention of the stupid hatred of modern religious cults toward love!
Director/writer Matthew Lopez keeps the pace fast and sexy until the end, which is good- we don't want to linger over any of the logic in this alleged plot. The lines are good enough to get the points across. The production is Big Money good. 'Nuff said.
Refreshing and breezy, the first two acts detail a very satisfying growing love between two hot, YOUNG men (Wait- what age are they supposed to be? Alex is still in college, but he's 32? The Prince hasn't been forced to marry at the age of 29??) as they sneak around in back rooms and polo gear sheds (total rubbish, of course-secret service and guards? Hello??) and such. But it's a fantasy, so we overlook this dumbness. Inevitably, the script turns to worn-out soap opera garbage in the third act when Henry, in the distaff role, is forced to flee their burgeoning love affair, crying out in anguish, "I can never love you because_______(insert any fake reason here, it doesn't matter which one)!" Clutch pearls, wave tear-stained hanky.
But none of that matters, because we are here solely to drool over Taylor Zakhar Perez (and Galitzine)! These two men have spectactular chemistry together, 100% better than CALL ME BY YOUR NAME.
So hooray for Zakhar Perez and Galitzine! Hooray for seeing two men kiss each other with some actual tenderness and heat! Hooray for seeing The Rest Of Us on screen for once, without one of them ending up dead or forced to marry a girl! Hooray for RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE!
Taylor Zakhar Perez, this year's version of Justin Baldoni, has finally hit the big time with this Amazon Pictures original. There's another steamboat in the movie (Nicholas Galitzine), but believe me, this is Taylor's show. Tall and lean and beautiful, the man commands the screen from start to finish in his first starring vehicle. He's so hot, in fact, that the real mystery here is why he isn't already married and trailing a line of disappointed ex-suitors! Poor Galitzine seems nervous and grumpy much of the time, probably because he was expecting to be the Hot One. Sorry! Maybe next time.
The book RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE by non-binary author Casey McQuiston is just your basic romance novel containing all the requisite steps to the happy ending: Cute Meeting, Initial Hatred, Unexpected Sexual Attraction, Kissing, Separation, Complications, Tears & Pouting, Solemn Slow-Motion Sex, A Last-Minute Desperate Journey, Confrontations, Happy Ending. McQuiston, like most females unfamiliar with the male sex, seems totally in the dark about the way lustful young men ACTUALLY behave together once the clothes are off, but no matter. We're not here for a lesson on sex, we're here for Romance. Luckily, Zakhar Perez's Alex has enough flame-thrower sex-appeal to ignite even Galitzine's wet-kindling Henry. The two men certainly kiss convincingly enough, although I'm still not convinced there was any actual wood on the set, if you know what I mean.
Others can talk about what's in the film, but I want to take a minute to mention some vitally important things that are NOT in this movie, including: a fake wife/girlfriend; a tragic deadly disease; Straight White Males; gay bashers who kill one of the men; and most blessedly, Religion. Finally! A gay romance without one mention of the stupid hatred of modern religious cults toward love!
Director/writer Matthew Lopez keeps the pace fast and sexy until the end, which is good- we don't want to linger over any of the logic in this alleged plot. The lines are good enough to get the points across. The production is Big Money good. 'Nuff said.
Refreshing and breezy, the first two acts detail a very satisfying growing love between two hot, YOUNG men (Wait- what age are they supposed to be? Alex is still in college, but he's 32? The Prince hasn't been forced to marry at the age of 29??) as they sneak around in back rooms and polo gear sheds (total rubbish, of course-secret service and guards? Hello??) and such. But it's a fantasy, so we overlook this dumbness. Inevitably, the script turns to worn-out soap opera garbage in the third act when Henry, in the distaff role, is forced to flee their burgeoning love affair, crying out in anguish, "I can never love you because_______(insert any fake reason here, it doesn't matter which one)!" Clutch pearls, wave tear-stained hanky.
But none of that matters, because we are here solely to drool over Taylor Zakhar Perez (and Galitzine)! These two men have spectactular chemistry together, 100% better than CALL ME BY YOUR NAME.
So hooray for Zakhar Perez and Galitzine! Hooray for seeing two men kiss each other with some actual tenderness and heat! Hooray for seeing The Rest Of Us on screen for once, without one of them ending up dead or forced to marry a girl! Hooray for RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE!