Red, White and Royal Blue

 

When it was first announced that there was going to be a movie made from Casey McQuiston's novel, Red, White and Royal Blue, I was ecstatic. I had devoured the book over my summer vacation back in 2019 and was eager to see the film adaptation, hoping it held up to the highly enjoyable novel. I am pleased to be able to report it is as the film was one of the better romantic comedies I have seen in recent memory. 

Alex Claremont-Diaz (played by Taylor Zakhar Perez) is the son of United States President Ellen Claremont (played by Uma Thurman). He is sent to attend a Royal Wedding alongside his friend, and granddaughter of the Vice President, Nora Holleran (played by Rachel Hilson). During the reception, he gets into an argument with Prince Henry (played by Nicholas Galitzine) that results in them accidentally knocking over the towering wedding cake on top of the both of them. The incident is heavily photographed and makes headlines across the globe. Both Governments, fearing bad publicity, decide the best course of action is forcing Alex and Henry to pretend to be friends through a series of press interviews. After getting a chance to talk a bit, Alex and Henry are able to make peace over past perceived slights between the two and actually become friends for real. The two continue to bond over texts and emails between one another. While attending Alex's annual New Year's Eve party, it becomes clear to Henry that he likes Alex as more than a friend and makes a move to Alex's surprise. Initially surprised, Alex comes to realize he likes Henry as more than a friend too. As the romance grows between the two men as they meet up in secret, they find themselves realizing that the will need to figure out what they really mean to each other since both live extraordinarily public lives as well as what the consequences could be for those they care about, chiefly the British Crown and Alex's mom's re-election campaign.   

The film was directed by Matthew Lopez from a script he co-wrote with Ted Malawer. The film remains reasonably faithful to the source novel, with some understandable omissions to allow the film to fit neatly into a 120 minute runtime. They keep the film moving at a brisk pace as the romance between Henry and Alex front and center. The tone remains light and humorous through much of the film, with just enough sexiness to give the film a little edge (it certainly does earn its R rating, after all). Still, they do an adequate job of giving some real stakes to Alex and Henry's relationship and the obstacles they have to overcome in order to be together. The film boasts some gorgeous cinematography by Stephen Goldblatt to support the film. 

The cast is fantastic, starting with our two leads Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine. They have undeniable chemistry with each other that is palpable throughout the film. Perez does a great job capturing Alex's ambition and desires to be taken seriously by his mother's campaign staff. He also capture's Alex uncertainty as well as his recklessness and obliviousness when it comes to his relationship with Henry. Likewise, Galitzine does a great job conveying Henry's internal conflict between his love and desire to be with Alex and the duty he feels to the Crown. Sarah Shahi low-key steals the show as Zahra Bankston, Ellen's much put-upon Deputy Chief of Staff who finds it falls to her to fix the P.R disaster Alex and Henry create, as well as everything that comes from that. Rachel Hilson does well as Nora, Alex's best friend, and is a solid support for him. Uma Thurman is great as Ellen Claremont, capturing the more commanding side as someone who is President as well as the more maternal side when it's just her and Alex in the more heartfelt moments, all the while really sinking her teeth into a Texas accent the whole time. Stephen Fry does the most with one single scene as King James III, injecting some warmth and humanity into what could have been a very one note character in lesser hands.  

Overall, Red, White, and Royal Blue is one of the more delightful romantic comedies to come out in quite some time. The two leads have undeniable chemistry, the film is genuinely romantic and frequently very funny. Like any good Rom-Com, this will undoubtedly be one I watch many, many more times and honestly I can't think of higher praise for a movie than that.      

Favorite Movies of 2022

It's that time once again as I look back on the past year and reflect on the films I saw in the past year and determine which ones are my favorites. I don't do a Best Of List because that can be such a subjective term. Instead, I'm calling this list what it is: a list of movies that I genuinely loved that all came out in 2022 in no particular order. 

Everything Everywhere All At Once

This is one of the most inventive films I think I have ever seen. I was a fan of the directors Daniels from their previous film, Swiss Army Man, so I had high hopes for this one and they more than delivered. The film manages to mix genuine heartfelt drama with absurdist comedy perfectly while boasting some genuine and inventive creativity. The film also boasts a fantastic cast with great performances from Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, and Jamie Lee Curtis. 

The Menu

This film proved to be an expertly crafted, pitch black satire of haute cuisine and pretentious foodie culture. Ralph Fiennes gives a magnificent performance as Chef Julian Slowik who has prepared a memorable multi-course dinner for a group of select guests that grows more sinister as it goes on. With a plot filled with surprising twists, this film was a wild ride that I couldn't wait to experience again. 

The Fabelmans

It could be assumed that I would love Steven Spielberg's latest, but I was surprised just how much I adored this autobiographical film focusing on his family and youth as he first became interested in filmmaking. The resulting film is both heartfelt and perhaps more surprising, frequently pretty funny too. I was also not prepared on how much I would relate to this one, proving to be a rather emotional viewing for me. It's another one I am anxious to revisit. With great performances from a fantastic cast that includes Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Gabriel LaBelle, Seth Rogen and Judd Hirsch this was one I fell absolutely in love with. 

Glass Onion

Rian Johnson's follow up to Knives Out crafts a whole new mystery for his intrepid detective, Benoit Blanc (played by Daniel Craig), to solve. Taking cues from Agatha Christie's Evil Under the Sun with a sun drenched beach side location and an all star cast that include the likes of Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Kate Hudson, Jessica Henwicke, Dave Bautista, Leslie Odom, Jr, and Kathryn Hahn having a blast playing an assortment of colorful characters that gather for a weekend Murder Mystery party that Benoit Blanc also gets an invitation to, a party that turns out to become all too deadly in real life. This one was a blast to watch from beginning to end with enough twists and turns to keep even the most jaded whodunnit fan entertained. 

Nope

I continue to be impressed by the films of Jordan Peele. His films are at once imaginative and entertaining while also provoking deep thoughts too. His latest is no different, taking a very unique spin on the UFO genre, focusing on a brother and sister OJ and Em Haywood (played by Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer) as they set out to capture photographic evidence of the UFO they have seen flying over their horse ranch outside Los Angeles, as well as the neighboring Wild West theme park run by former child star Ricky "Jupe" Park (played by Steven Yuen). Filled with humor and thrills, this one had me riveted to the screen from beginning to end. 

The Banshees of Inisherin

Easily one of the more unique movies of 2022 was this darkly comedic gem from Martin McDonagh that reunites Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, who starred together previously in McDonagh's In Bruges. When folk musician Colm (played by Gleeson) decides he no longer wishes to be friends with Padraic (played by Farrell), this leaves Padraic devastated and confused. When he continues to pester his friend, Colm tells him that if Padraic doesn't leave him alone, he will cut off one of his fingers every time he bothers him and give it to him. With fantastic performances from Gleeson, Farrell and co-star Barry Keoghan, this was a unique and memorable film, beautifully shot against the gorgeous landscapes of Ireland. 

All Quiet on the Western Front

The latest adaptation of the classic novel by Erich Maria Remarque from director Edward Berger is one of the most intense, uncompromising, and devastating portraits of war I've seen. It also remains largely faithful to the source novel as it adheres to the themes of the futility of war, even as it expands on the novel by including the armistice efforts to end the war led by Matthias Erzberger (played by Daniel Bruhl) and therefore diverging from the central narrative following a young soldier, Paul (played by Felix Kammerer), as he goes from an idealistic young recruit to shattered and traumatized man just trying to survive the war. It also is, as near as I can tell, the only adaptation made in German with German filmmakers and a German cast, which just adds another layer of authenticity to the film.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

This one had a careful balancing act that it managed to pull off beautifully as it was at once both a loving tribute to Chadwick Boseman while also moving the story forward in an interesting and compelling way. The film has a real emotional weight to it as director Ryan Coogler and his cast lean into the very real grief they were no doubt really feeling at Boseman's tragic passing, weaving it throughout the film in a meaningful way. With great performances from Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett, as well as newcomer Tenoch Huerta as antagonist Namor, this one was one of the more satisfying Marvel movies in awhile.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

Only someone like "Weird" Al Yankovic would make a movie about his life story that ends up being more of a parody of musical biopics. With a hilarious performance from Daniel Radcliffe in the title role, with Evan Rachel Wood equally hilarious as Madonna, this one diverges from the facts pretty quickly as it expertly parodies the various tropes of the genre. This one had plenty of hearty laughs from beginning to end. One demerit though for premiering on The Roku Channel and therefore being awkwardly broken up by several annoying commercial breaks. 

Top Gun: Maverick

Rumors of a sequel to the iconic 1986 film had swirled around for ages but never come to fruition until this past year. Made with care, this follow-up is every bit as good, if not better, than the original film as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (played by Tom Cruise) is called back to Top Gun to train a group of recruits for an extremely dangerous and nearly impossible mission (no pun intended) and in the process coming face to face with Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (played by Miles Teller), the son of his late best friend, Goose. With stunning aerial photography and an emotionally resonate and suspenseful story, this one was superior blockbuster entertainment. I loved every minute, not realizing until then how much I had missed these sorts of action movies.  

Babylon

The latest from filmmaker Damien Chazelle is definitely not going to be for everyone. Chronicling the decadence and debauchery of the Golden Age of Hollywood leading up to the advent of "talkies." Moving at a breakneck pace as it tracks the lives of rising star Nellie LaRoy (played by Margot Robbie), Manny Torres (played by Diego Calva), movie star Jack Conrad (played by Brad Pitt), Lady Fay Zhu (played by Li Jun Li) and Jazz musician Sidney Palmer (played by Jovan Adepo) throughout this tumultuous time in Hollywood history, the film hardly stops to breathe as it blasts through it's three hour runtime. It is definitely one of the most memorable cinematic experiences in recent memory for me. 

Bros

This romantic comedy from writer/star Billy Eichner was a frequently hilarious and at times surprisingly heartfelt romantic comedy focusing on the opposites attract couple Bobby Lieber (played by Eichner) and Aaron Shepard (played by Luke Macfarlane). Filled with countless witty observations and genuinely funny scenes make this a refreshingly entertaining romantic comedy that I thoroughly enjoyed with a stacked cast made up almost entirely of LGBTQ actors.  

The Black Phone

The latest from from Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill was a fantastic adaptation of the short story of the same name by Joe Hill which they do a marvelous job of bringing to the screen. The film has style and atmosphere to spare as it centers on young teen Finney (played by Mason Thames) who has been kidnapped by a child murderer known as the Grabber (played by Ethan Hawke). He finds help from an unexpected source, the ghosts of his past victims, communicating with him through a old, broken kitchen phone that hangs on the wall in the basement he's being kept in. It was a memorable scary movie with thrills and real emotional gravitas, anchored by a great performance from Mason Thames and a genuinely scary turn from Ethan Hawke. 

Bullet Train

This movie was easily some of the most fun I had in the theater all year. The film follows an assortment of colorful characters, each an assassin on a different mission that intersect in unexpected ways on one particularly chaotic ride on the titular train. Filled with fantastic comedic flourishes and a great cast that includes Brad Pitt, Brian Tyree Henry, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Joey King, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Logan Lerman, Sandra Bullock, and Michael Shannon. This one was a blast from beginning to end. 

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

As a longtime fan of Nicolas Cage, I had a lot of fun with this one. There are not many actors a film like this would work with, but it certainly did with Cage, gamely playing an exaggerated version of himself who takes a gig to attend a rich fan's birthday party. He pairs well with Pedro Pascal, who fills his character with this warm, if slightly naïve, charm playing the aforementioned fan, Javi. Filled with meta humor about the mythos of Nicolas Cage and impressive action made this for one of the more unique movies of 2022.