Red White & Royal Blue Movie Review: When a movie gets adapted from a book, a reader’s expectations are always high. The reader wants to see on screen what they imagined in their head when they first read the book. Seldom does that wish to turn true. Of course, translating a story from the page to the screen has its limitations and challenges. But the least that one can expect is that the chemistry between the characters and most of the important points in the book to be present in its on-screen adaptation.

While there have been long-standing debates over whether adaptations are good or not, many movie adaptations have truly passed the readers’ check. By now, I think you have an idea about what our review today is going to be about. 

Amazon Prime Video’s latest romcom movie is not your typical run-of-the-mill story about a female lead and a male lead. It is, in fact, an adaptation of a fan-favorite novel. The novel outlines the romance between two largely public figureheads and presents its readers with a beautiful LGBT romance story. While LGBT romances are not a new genre in books or movies, certain stories just capture the audience’s hearts with a non-biased take on the queer characters with a simple, honest, and true story crafted to give the readers a fresh narrative to indulge in. 

The movie is none other than Red, White and Royal Blue which is based on the novel of the same name by Casey McQuinston. When the book was first released, it was met with absolute admiration and love for the characters and respect for the writer for bringing something heartwarming to the readers. It has been some time since the book was released, but it still finds a new reader waiting to gush and giggle over the adorable leads. The movie was released on Prime Video on August 10, 2023.

Red White & Royal Blue Trailer

Red White & Royal Blue Movie Review

Red, White & Royal Blue tells the love story between Prince Henry of England and Alex Claremont-Diaz, the son of the President of the USA. The two have met in the past and didn’t start on the right foot. During the wedding of Prince Henry’s elder brother Prince Phillip, the two show a cold shoulder to each other. Alex in an inebriated state approaches Henry. Their short meeting turns out to be a global gossip piece when the two shove each other and eventually, the wedding cake tumbles down on them. So begins the story of the two making public appearances to show that everything is good between the two and subsequently their countries are on the verge of political negotiations.

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As the two are forced to spend time together and make appearances, they eventually learn that they might have had some misunderstanding between them.  In this movie, we see the classic trope of enemies to lovers. As the two grow close, we see that Henry acts on his feelings toward Alex during a New Year’s party. As time goes by, the two meet quite a lot and indulge in a steamy yet heartwarming relationship.

The two characters are foils to each other. While Henry is shy and reserved, Alex is much more outgoing. The two lovebirds gel well despite their differences in personalities. The difference in their personalities is something that makes their chemistry and banter much more interesting to see. Alex and Henry both have a legacy to shoulder and it does cause a slight strain on their relationships. Both live in different countries and have not known each other for long. But this does not stop them from talking their way through their problems.

Alex is highly ambitious and has ideas for his mother’s re-election campaign. Henry on the other is dubbed as the Prince of England’s Hearts for his sweet nature and polished demeanor. Being in the public eye, they are subject to scrutiny and judgment. They have to keep their relationship clandestine in nature. They are one day found out by President Claremont’s secretary. When Alex comes out to his mother, he is met with nothing but support her. There is a classic parent-child conversation about dating and physical intimacy which is equal measure awkward and adorable to see.

Soon, their personal emails are also leaked online. Alex’s ex-boyfriend Miguel is suspected to have leaked them. Since the beginning of the movie we find that he had been crossing his boundaries and pushing the wrong buttons with Alex. The leak causes a huge uproar in the public eye. They two are forced to come out about their sexual orientation and their relationship.

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Alex issues a strong statement to the public that the leak of their personal emails is completely unwarranted and uncalled for. In a society that still considers homosexual relationships as taboo, it is of utmost importance to give the space, respect and choice to reveal their sexual orientation. This email leak served as a pathway for the makers to give a voice to the LGBT community.

Prince Henry is kept away from the public eye. Any communication between Alex and Henry is also barred. Henry’s fear that him being gay would come to harm the crown finally came true. He goes into a depressive and helpless state of being. When Alex does manage to reach out to Henry, their reunion is nothing short of endearing and warm. Alex is Henry’s shield in every right. Henry has lived a closeted life, burdened with the legacy of the crown. He was drilled about being a man, and being a worthy prince for the nation since his childhood.

Stephen Fry as the King of England was a delight to see on screen. The aged monarch chooses to not accept the reality and to brandish it as lie in the public. When Alex raises his voice against the monarch’s perspective of what the crown is and what a prince’s duties are, he is silenced. But Henry picks up the thought and addresses the question which renders the King of England utterly speechless. Much to everyone’s surprise, crowds gather outside of the Buckingham Palace and pour into the streets of England in support of their dear Prince and his boyfriend from America.

Some might argue that Alex came off a little to strong about his political aspirations. Or that his talk with his mother about politics might not have been necessary either. Uma Thurman’s accent also saw a slight variation here and there, and those with keen ears will definitely have noticed the switch. But in a movie which gave you load to gush over and love, you tend to forget the tiny hiccups present, especially when those do not negatively impact the story, as much as just be passed off like an afterthought.

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Verdict – JAL Rating

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