#nicholas galitzine you will never be him. not to me. not ever.

[livvyofthelake]

unfortunately having been in high school when love simon came out impacted me in insane ways.

[besaya-glantaya]

The scene in the hospital closet when Henry and Alex realise their animosity towards each other stems from a misunderstanding holds one of my (many) favourite moments in this movie.

Henry has just admitted that he "could have been nicer" when he first met Alex at the Melbourne climate conference. 

It's a sweet moment, but it's still guarded. He's not given away anything in terms of what he was feeling or why. 

It's not until Alex is provoked by Henry's mocking disbelief that this changes. Alex chooses, in that moment, to be honest and vulnerable. He tells Henry how that dismissal made him feel:

"It was my first foray into the world as a public figure and I was really scared, and you could've helped me and you didn't."

Watch Henry's face after Alex says this.  He just deflates.

It shatters Henry's memory of that event. Prior to Alex's revelation, Henry had only thought about his own perspective, struggling as he was to process his grief while being paraded in public by the Firm. Meeting Alex - someone who felt so very dangerous - was simply too much in those circumstances.

I thought, this is the most incredible thing I have ever seen, and I had better keep it a safe distance away from me. I thought, if someone like that ever loved me, it would set me on fire.

Henry had never stopped to think that he'd actually hurt Alex in that small act of self-preservation.

Until now.

And you can see every thought of this realisation in Henry's expression, in the downward glance he shoots Alex, in his sigh. There are so many moments in this movie where Nicholas Galitzine beautifully conveys Henry's inner thoughts and emotions with zero dialogue. I love all of them, but especially this one.

[onpurposeilovehimonpurpose]

RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE (2023) dir. Matthew Lopez

I want to talk about this. There are many great moments that Nicholas Galitzine acted to bring Henry to life. But this one, this is everything to me. It encompasses every word written about Henry in the novel and script. I cried a lot for many reasons during the movie. Most of the tears were because of happiness, happy to see these characters I loved for so long and so deeply in my mind- on a screen. But this moment, it took me back to a place many years ago, and instances that occur even today, of pains caused by societal pressures and standards and the invasion of my vulnerabilities.

While what Henry is experiencing here is much more complex than anything I have ever had to deal with, it is still such a perfect portrayal of anguished resilience that made me love him so much. There's a lot of praise for this movie, but with that, is a lot of people saying it's a silly rom-com, too. But this scene and many others, if you've ever "been" like Alex or Henry, you know it's not silly at all. It's amazing to me that we get to see a film like this, something I never would've guessed 20 years ago that I would ever see.

This movie doesn't end here, it is full of hope and love. Henry goes through Hell here in this scene, but he and Alex do get a happy ending. It's becoming less rare in Queer cinema now for that to occur, but I haven't seen it quite like this before. With moments like this one that rip your heart open, and still end happily with endless possibilities for the couple.

[blythings]

HARD TO LOVE | TOM BLYTH

— pairing: tom blyth x filmmaker!oc (fem.) — summary: you want all of me, i can't give that much, so don't fall too hard. — tags: exes-to-lovers, named oc, attempts at humour, mentions of other celebrities. —notes: shorter chapter today since the next chapter will mostly be written! also requests are now open icymi~ as always, comment or send me a msg if you'd like to be added to the taglist and lmk what you think 💞

← series masterlist | send me an ask →

liked by xavierdolan, sabrinacarpenter and others alexisnakamura can you reach me 📞🗣 no! 🙅‍♀️🚫 you can't! ☀️✨😡 user THE QUEEN IS BACK user you better have written a new movie during your social media break or ill cry mari.arai your photographer is 👍 user the lorde reference? timeless user 🔥

liked by user, user and others Cosmopolitan #Bottoms is already a frontrunner for the funniest movie of the year. We sat down with auteur Alexis Nakamura and chatted through all the things including her smash hit comedy, why she pledges allegiance to Mari Arai and Nicholas Galitzine, and what topics she wants to tackle next. user ali can't do one interview without mentioning nick and mari and i respect that user mentioning rachel zegler in a list of actors she wants to work with but not tom.... i see ↪ user omg lmao she's never mentioning tom ever again, not after how weird everyone acted about all of that ↪ user fr like... is it that weird that they're exes? it seems like their circles overlapped when they were both studying in nyc ↪ user i think they were seen at the same party too 👀 ↪ user WHERE ↪ user check @/tomandalexis on ig!! i think it was at mari's birthday party

liked by user, user and others tomandalexis tom and alexis spotted at mari arai's birthday party last night! user why was tom invited? ↪ user i think they were all friends back in college so even if he wasn't directly invited he could've been a plus one user the tomalexis nation feasting on crumbs 😔 ↪ user ALL WE WANTED WAS A PHOTO?? JUST ONE PHOTO user no but they're actually both so hot, i want them back together ↪ user or at least have him star in one of her movies ↪ user her movies are bad tho, tom should stay away ↪ user you clearly have shit taste

[random9476]

Of course here comes Nicholas Galitzine’s racist, bigoted, homophobic piece of shit fans being absolute assholes to Taylor after his big night. It’s a day ending in y and once again, Nicholas will not call them out and other fans won’t either. Y’all are literally the most hypocritical fucks I have ever seen in a fandom. His own fans make you hate him.

And don’t fucking tell me he never sees shit because he is all over that godforsaken bird app liking all the shit about himself so he sees the homophobic bigoted racist bullshit his fans do in his name and doesn’t say a word.

[damiawnos]

i’ve been waiting for someone to make this post ever since this song was released so i could interact with it but it seems like i’ll have to take the matter on my own hands.

does anyone else share the opinion that the song “comfort” by nicholas (yes, the very one galitzine) is a VERY henry coded song? i think it portraits mostly of his feelings in the scene where alex goes to england and start screaming in front of his house, but the rest of the song it’s also very him in different stages of his life.

like, i can’t put my thoughts into words for shit but come on. him thinking he can’t have that, that if alex “ever loved me it would set me on fire” (i need comfort but i hate being comfortable), that he don’t deserve it because his duty is to inherit a country and not happiness (i wonder why i hate getting what i want. it’s torture, but i can’t seem to shake it off)

and i think the dont hope it’s the hope that kills me everytime, come close but not close enough to change my mind it’s pretty self-explanatory with alex saying “you’re not even gonna try to be happy?”

with also the combo of his anxiety all the time (it’s all in my head, i fuck up again and again)

“I thought I could have some part of you, and just never say it, and you’d never have to know, and one day you’d get tired of me and leave, because I’m—” (wanna stay, wanna run, wanna disappear, i keep biting my tongue just to keep you here)

“I never thought I’d be standing here faced with a choice I can’t make, because I never . . . I never imagined you would love me back.” (made you wait for someone i could never be, and it’s killing me)

and i think i could go on!!!!!! LIKE AM I CRAZY IF I SAY THIS!?!?!? AM I THE ONLY ONE?!?!????

[quarri3d]

i see you’ve settled on dylan lenivy! fill your inventory, you’re heading to litwick. you look 27 years old and i hear you’re from new york ? well, i think lemon lane will be the perfect fit for you. make sure you stop by cypress high school and introduce yourself as their new music teacher ! it’s strange, you almost remind me of dylan from the quarry. we hope you enjoy the slow life !

full name ⸻ DYLAN LENIVY . nickname(s) ⸻ DYL . age ⸻ TWENTY SEVEN . gender identity ⸻ CIS MAN . orientation ⸻ GAY . pronouns ⸻ HE/HIM . hometown ⸻ NEW YORK . current occupation ⸻ MUSIC TEACHER @ CYPRESS HIGH SCHOOL . faceclaim ⸻ NICHOLAS GALITZINE .

⸻ 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒

born and raised in new york .

former camp counselor .

former radio host .

he has a cat called schrödinger .

his left hand was amputated when he was a counselor. he is awaiting a prosthetic .

dylan's first ever job had been helping out at the summer camp he'd attended as a camper just the year before. it was new for him – responsibility paired with a hefty pay check for a teenager, the only thought in his mind was what cd or record he would be buying next with his latest wages. it didn't take long for dylan to be known as the class clown, easing tense atmospheres with perfectly timed humor, a carefree attitude and a joke for every situation making him the kind of friend everyone enjoyed being around. to most people, that's all he was. the comedic relief of the group, someone to lighten their spirits and have a good time. it was all a coping mechanism for dylan, though. behind his sharp whit and easygoing demeanour was a fragile boy, desperate for approval and attention that he never got from his parents. after all, they'd ship him away all summer just to get away from him. dylan would be the kind of friend everyone enjoys being around. His easygoing demeanor and sharp wit would make him the life of the party, always finding ways to lighten the mood and keep things fun. a freak accident only made dylan return into his make-believe shell; a wood shop disaster caused a nasty infection, resulting in the music-loving twenty year old losing his left hand. months of recovery led him to where he was now — a traumatised music teacher with one hand, trying to rediscover who he is.

[neosmanlymancave]

i don’t think a man has ever infuriated me as much as nicholas galitzine. the rage he inflicts upon me is actually insane and he’s not even doing anything wrong he just really annoys me and he can’t act 😭😭 i hated him in red white and royal blue but the idea of you is so bad and his corny ass tattoos that HE CHOSE actually sent me over the edge. never has a man provoked such profound anger in me for such a silly reason. it annoys me even more that i even care that much.

[vortexhq]

greetings from fairewoods, california! we hope you're having a wonderful time, will herondale ( the shadowhunter chronicles ) and henry fox ( red white and royal blue ), here in our little sanctuary! make sure you read the checklist, and we'll be sending you the discord link through ims! welcome to a land where everyone gets their happy ever after, kit!

{ the shadowhunter chronicles ( the infernal devices, canon, ca ). jordan gonzalez; he/him; trans man. } — do you hear that? it sounds like ( my love mine all mine ) by ( mitski ). i think i heard ( gwilym owain herondale - amoros | william owen herondale - amoros ) playing this before. have you met them yet? they’re a ( twenty-eight ) year old ( children's librarian + writer ), and they’re usually always hanging around ( cobalt library ). they’re known around town for ( always talking about jem carstairs ); fitting for them, since they’re so ( loyal ) yet ( self destructive ). they’re sort of associated with ( watercolour blue eyes, sharing half of a soul, memorized passages from well worn books, never knowing if you actually deserve to be happy, a desire to save the people you love the most ) which makes total sense when you get to know them. i wonder how they’ve been doing lately; last i heard from them, they were telling me about a dream they had? something about ( not being able to save jem and give them the life they deserved with tessa ), but i’m not sure what they were talking about. they always do tell the strangest stories… // [ kit, 29 / est, they/he. ]

{ casey mcquistonverse ( red white and royal blue, canon, ca ).  nicholas galitzine;  he/him;  cis man.  }  —  do you hear that?  it sounds like (so long london) by ( taylor swift ). i think i heard ( henry george edward james fox-mountchristen-windsor ) playing this before. have you met them yet?  they’re a ( thirty-one ) year old ( writer under a pen name ), and they’re usually always hanging around ( auralie well ). they’re known around town for ( being prom king as a joke );  fitting for them, since they’re so (generous) yet (guarded).  they’re sort of associated with ( a secret that makes you feel as if it's hard to breathe, a dog named after your favourite artist, a pen scribbling out your great novel) which makes total sense when you get to know them.  i wonder how they’ve been doing lately;  last i heard from them, they were telling me about a dream they had?  something about ( not abdicating the crown earlier in his life ), but i’m not sure what they were talking about.  they always do tell the strangest stories…  //  [ kit,  29 / est,  they/he.  ]

[guildfm]

      now   introducing   MISS   ROWAN   GRACE   ZHANG,   MISTER   VINCENT   ARTHUR   WILLIAMS,   MISTER   OLIVER   JAMES   CARTER,   and   MISS   LORELAI   "LORI"   GWEN   HEARST   to   the   ton!   we   are   thrilled   to   see   you   this   social   season,   and   we   do   hope   that   you're   able   to   get   settled   in   within   the   next   twenty   four   hours.   be   careful   out   there,   it   seems   like   guildsrc   is   already   on   the   prowl.   havana   rose   liu,   lucien   laviscount,   nicholas   galitzine,   ashley   moore,   muse   j,   muse   b,   muse   e   and   muse   x   are  now   taken!

(     havana   rose   liu.     she/her.     cis   woman.     )     ✧˚   ༘   ⋆｡˚     well,     well…     it     appears     that     ROWAN     GRACE   ZHANG     will     be     a     part     of     new     york's     social     season     once     more     !     according     to     guildsource,     the     twenty   eight     year     old     is     most     known     for     being     an    artist   /   philanthropist,     and     is     constantly     spotted     hanging     around     the   moma—     seems     as     if     you've     heard     of     them,     too.     they     initially     made     a     splash     on     the     gossip     site     after     her   mother   publicly   sued   her   for   defamation,     and     they've     been     the     center     of     attention     ever     since.     the     public     tends     to     view     them     as     being     self   destructive     and     shrewd ,     but     people     close     to     them     say     they're     actually     passionate     and     loyal…     i'll     believe     it     when     i     see     it.     they     tend     to     remind     me     abundant    laughter    echoing    in    an    empty    room,   overgrown   plants   in   a   window   seal,   and   clothes   stained   with   chalk   and   acrylic   paint   which     says     the     most     about     them.     i     wonder     if     they'll     be     seen     wearing     their     diamond   tennis   bracelet        to     the     social     events     this     year,     but     nevermind     all     that.     the     social     season     is     upon     us,     and     guildsource     is     always     watching. 

(   lucien   laviscount.   he/him.   cis man.   )   ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚   well,   well…   it   appears   that   VINCENT   ARTHUR   WILLIAMS   will   be   a   part   of   new   york's   social   season   once   more   !   according   to   guildsource,   the   thirty   year   old   is   most   known   for   being   A   WRITER ,   and   is   constantly   spotted   hanging   around   THE   BREW   CLUB—   seems   as   if   you've   heard   of   them,   too.   they   initially   made   a   splash   on   the   gossip   site   after   it  was  announced  that  he  would  star  in  the  movie  adaptation  of  his  best-selling  book ,   and   they've   been   the   center   of   attention   ever   since.   the   public   tends   to   view   them   as   being   POWER-HUNGRY   and   EGOCENTRIC,   but   people   close   to   them   say   they're   actually   AMBITIOUS   and   SCRUPULOUS…   i'll   believe   it   when   i   see   it.   they   tend   to   remind   me   of   perfectly   scripted   words,   writing   like   he   is   running   out   of   time,   blurry   photos   from   the   night   before,   and   hunger   that   can   never   be   satisfied    which   says   the   most   about   them.   i   wonder   if   they'll   be   seen   wearing   their   DAVID   YURMAN   14K   GOLD   CHAIN   BRACELET   to   the   social   events   this   year,   but   nevermind   all   that.   the   social   season   is   upon   us,   and   guildsource   is   always   watching.  

(   nicholas   galitzine.   he/his.   cis male.   )   ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚   well,   well…   it   appears   that  OLIVER   JAMES   CARTER    will   be   a   part   of   new   york's   social   season   once   more   !   according   to   guildsource,   the   twenty   -   seven   year   old   is   most   known   for   being  L'ORÉAL   HEIR   /   OWNER   OF   THE   SULLIVAN,   and   is   constantly   spotted   hanging   around   THE   SULLIVAN—   seems   as   if   you've   heard   of   them,   too.   they   initially   made   a   splash   on   the   gossip   site   after   he   kicked   the   mayor   of   new   york   out   of   the   sullivan   without   knowing   it   was   him,   and   they've   been   the   center   of   attention   ever   since.   the   public   tends   to   view   them   as   being   SELFISH   and   MANIPULATIVE,   but   people   close   to   them   say   they're   actually   HUMOROUS   and   GENEROUS…   i'll   believe   it   when   i   see   it.   they   tend   to   remind   me   of   never   going   to   bed   without   his   ten-steps   skin   care   routine,   watching   a   painting   hanging   on   the   wall   for   hours   on   end,   endless   debates   that   go   nowhere   just   because   it’s   fun   to   annoy   people   around   him,   needing   coffee   before   barely   even   opening   his   eyes ,   which   says   the   most   about   them.   i   wonder   if   they'll   be   seen   wearing   their  CLASH   THE   CARTIER   WHITE   GOLD   NECKLACE  to   the   social   events   this   year,   but   nevermind   all   that.   the   social   season   is   upon   us,   and   guildsource   is   always   watching.

(   ashley moore.   she/her.   cis woman.   )   ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚   well,   well…   it   appears   that   LORELAI   'LORI'   GWEN   HEARST   will   be   a   part   of   new   york's   social   season   once   more   !   according   to   guildsource,   the   thirty  -   one   year   old   is   most   known   for   being  heiress  &  ghost  -  writer,   and   is   constantly   spotted   hanging   around  THE    BREW   CLUB    —   seems   as   if   you've   heard   of   them,   too.   they   initially   made   a   splash   on   the   gossip   site   after   getting   into   a  heated   altercation with  a   fling   at   a  gala.   and   they've   been   the   center   of   attention   ever   since.   the   public   tends   to   view   them   as   being   ENIGMATIC   and   FICKLE,   but   people   close   to   them   say   they're   actually   HUMBLE.   and   DEBONAIR…   i'll   believe   it   when   i   see   it.   they   tend   to   remind   me   of   words   scattered   on   cafe   napkins,   living   in   the   shadows   of   someone   else,   a   gentle   presence    whispering   affirmations,   touching   up   makeup   constantly   which   says   the   most   about   them.   i   wonder   if   they'll   be   seen   wearing   their   CARTIER   CHAIN   BRACELET   to   the   social   events   this   year,   but   nevermind   all   that.   the   social   season   is   upon   us,   and   guildsource   is   always   watching.

[semioticpenguin]

So love me like you do

For the past few years, as I slowly crept toward forty, I thought I had reconciled myself to being alone. I'd moved back home, out of the city where the gays congregate and back to the suburbs were the gays do not. I bought my childhood home, offered to take care of my parents, got a cat to help ease the loneliness, and for a while, I've felt... okay about it. Not thrilled, not happy, maybe not even content. 'Resigned' has too negative a connotation, but perhaps that's the word that fits best: I'd become resigned to my lot in life and to the future it promised.

But tonight I watched Red, White, and Royal Blue, a film based on a book from 2019 that I'd read and adored, and when the credits rolled, I felt... devastated. I sat in my recliner, my cat in my lap, and all those emotions I thought I had put behind me rushed to the surface: anger, despair, desperation, disbelief, jealousy, worthlessness, pain. So much pain. I turned off my Roku, got off the recliner, and went to pee. "This will pass," I thought to myself. "This too will pass."

But it didn't. It hasn't. My mood had curdled, and there is no going back. I've staved off the burning waves of a panic attack twice tonight, something I haven't had to do for over a decade. And now I still can't shake these terrible thoughts, most of which come attached to images from the movie (Alex and Henry on the hammock together or dancing slow in the museum or in bed after making love, Alex's arms wrapped around Henry like safety, like shelter, like home.): "You're going to die alone, unloved and unwanted." "You will never have that love, that affection, that physical touch." "It's too late for you -- there is no one -- you have no hope, you abandoned all hope when you entered here."

But this isn't even about the movie, which was fine. Yes, the man who played Alex is incredibly, painfully hot, and the one who played Henry vacillates so adorably between damaged (I'm a Taurus) and vulnerable that I'd probably propose to Nicholas Galitzine on the spot if I ever saw him, but I've seen romantic comedies before. I know what happens, what's going to happen. Hell, I watched the second season of Heartstopper last weekend, and I was fine! (To be fair, that also upset me, for different reasons that I will perhaps discuss in a later post, but it was a fleeting sort of sadness, nostalgia for a past I never had and never will. Not this echoing void where a contented present and a hopeful future should be.)

I don't know what happened. I don't know why I feel like this again, why it's started after so many years of numbness verging on acceptance. So now I've been listening to the Carpenters love songs all night, and I've moved on to my Sad playlist on Spotify. The song "Take Me Home" by Delta Goodrem kills me -- that desperation, that exhaustion, that need -- it fits me right now the way snow fits winter or ice fills a broken heart.

The only thing I can think to do to help is to write again. I miss my old LiveJournal, the community of perfect strangers I'd met there who read the incredibly detailed, often melodramatic daily posts I made about my insignificant, inconsequential life. I've tried journaling privately, but I never stick with it -- perhaps here, even if no one hears my cries, the hope that someone will will keep me going.

[livvyofthelake]

the thing of it is that nicholas galitzine is not necessarily Good at playing gay, because well at the end of it all you can tell he does it for attention. which i think is a feminist win but that’s neither here nor there. i mean that he has the like, vibe of a man who believes so deeply within his soul that he’s heterosexual so he thinks playing gay is fun because it’s Acting in a way that playing straight is not. bear with me, you’re about to get a glimpse of 2021 beth. and by that i mean i’m about to bring up pete davidson. actually maybe most of you should stop reading his post right now or possibly two sentences ago. anyway. what i mean to say is that he’s like if pete davidson was like. talented. if pete davidson could act and sing he’d be doing everything nicholas galitzine is doing, but he can’t so he’s doing mid comedy and like so much weed. god bless america. basically pete davidson is so deep in method acting as a straight man he doesn’t even know he’s performing. i don’t mean to suggest that he’s secretly gay i’m just saying if you analyze his behavior you can like. see within him where the staten island ideal of heteronormative masculinity took root inside his soul. you know. basically you can tell that his whole life is a performance and he thinks he’s winning but he’s not because he will never be happy until he can deconstruct the roles gender and sexuality have played in his endless quest to find acceptance. he needs a lesbian friend so bad and GOD i wish that were me. i had a point. hold on. so like. i don’t know shit about nicholas galitzine as a person but i’ve been looking at the man on various screens for months and there is something about the way he moves and the way he says certain things, especially while he’s playing gay, that gives pete davidson to me. so i’ve taken that similarity and extrapolated from it that he almost definitely has similar issues. i don’t think a lesbian friend would fix him though i think whatever his deal is is unfixable and we should probably put him down in a few years before he does anything crazy like date a kardashian or star in a biopic or something idk. my point was basically going to be that i think. actually i forgot my point. oh yeah i think he loves playing gay for attention but he’s not super good at it because he still has the last sliver of internalized homophobia you can’t knock out of a man until he tries gay sex or talks to a lesbian once or has a daughter who’s in middle school. it’s complicated. don’t argue with me about his ability to play gay i think i know more about the subject than you ok i watched the craft legacy i was there. ok i was half there i don’t truly remember that movie. but i remember the vibe ok i was there. basically. WHAT was i talking about. i love stream of consciousness posting i’ve been writing this post for like 20 minutes probably. basically it’s crazytown that this movie is being sold as a gay romcom but they don’t even make out sloppy it’s like what’s the point if we aren’t getting a little nasty. a little freaky. casey wouldn’t approve of this. ok well. casey did approve of this i’m pretty sure they’re a producer but they didn’t write the movie and i believe in my soul that if they had been more involved in this process there would have been freak shit happening. i’m reading this book ok i know henry is slipping alex so much tongue and it was NOT translated onscreen!! and i’ve chosen to blame that british man and also matthew because he has ras syndrome. which is when you’re gay and in charge of a movie or show and you’re fucking obsessed with the hot straight man who’s playing your gay little character that you like so bad. ras is not the first to do it but he is by far one of the worst offenders i’ve ever seen like goddamn can we free kj apa from his clutches. i forgot the point again. basically. i think if nicholas took a break from playing gay in movies and tried gay sex he would become better at playing gay in movies. or he would stop entirely. idk

[that-shamrock-vibe]

Movie Review: Cinderella (Spoilers)

Disclaimer: I am posting this review the day after the movie airs on Amazon Prime, so if you haven't yet seen it don't read on until you do.

General Reaction:

It is slightly weird to think of another movie studio taking on one of the classic fairy-tales that isn't Disney, because, as I am sure is the case for a large portion of the mainstream audience, Disney have almost claimed fairytale adaptations as their own.

However, as identified, Cinderella, is a fairy tale and one created long before Disney came about. As such, other studios are allowed to put across their own interpretation of these classic stories that we have seen a lot of times adapted at this point.

That being said, we have seen many different adaptations of Cinderella at this point from the classis Disney Animation version and it's live-action counterpart, to modern-day reworkings like A Cinderella Story of the mid-noughties starring Hilary Duff.

It's quite an easy story to tell and adapt to a variety of different settings, and what this 2021 retelling does with the story blends the old-fashioned with the modern. Does that mean it is set apart from the others? Well in my opinion yes and no.

While this is a Sony movie, it plays a lot like a Disney Channel Original Movie. From the comedy to the settings to the costuming and the music, it plays like the best of those types of movies. I'm talking the High School Musical franchise and the Descendants franchise. It is by no means bad or corny, but it isn't even on the level of the 2016 live-action Cinderella.

While that version was pretty much a straightforward live-action version of the original animated version, the style of the movie outweighed the substance.

Here however, there is a great blend of both style and substance. The story takes the classic elements of the original Cinderella fairy tale but tries to inject a modern and feministic twist that the recent live-action Beauty and the Beast tried to do.

In terms of whether this version of Cinderella stands out in the crowd of Cinderella movies, I would say it does. Not only is the titular character race-bent and the setting she is in seemingly plays into that, but the reworking of the Fairy Godmother as the Fab G as well as giving the Stepmother a more humanised backstory allows for a more compelling take on a classic.

Cast:

Because this is just the one all-in review I'm not going to do an in-depth character analysis and instead group the characters as who were my favourites, who did a passable job, who was bad and who were for some reason just there.

Favourites:

I have a top 3/4 favourite characters in this movie. Idina Menzel's Stepmother Vivian, Billy Porter's Fab G, Minnie Driver's Queen Beatrice and additionally Beverly Knight's Queen Tatiana.

Idina Menzel was always going to be fantastic in this movie, but to see her portray what is traditionally the villain character in the movie as a sympathetic character as part of the movie's feminist agenda was an interesting twist. No cat for a start, I don't know if Lucifer was a part of the original fairy tale but of course in the Disney adaptations Lady Tremaine is always accompanied by her faithful feline, but also the fact that her backstory parallels Ella's current story and the fact Vivian was so willing to have Ella reject her passion to do what is expected of her just as was forced on her was actually great motivation.

In truth I have only ever seen Billy Porter in one other thing aside from this movie and that was American Horror Story: Apocalypse. I have never seen Pose though I have heard good things, but from what I understand, Billy Porter only really has one speed. However, as the character's name states, that speed is fabulous. I loved Fab G in this movie, the fairy godmother is usually one of my favourite characters in the movie and every interpretation I have seen has brought something different and memorable. If this version of Cinderella is remembered for anything it will be for this very modernised take on the Fairy Godmother, not only gender-bending and race-bending a traditionally white female character, but with Porter choosing to make the character non-binary and that outfit speaks for itself, Fab G was simply a fabulous character.

In both Disney adaptations, I have never heard mention or reference to Prince Charming having a living mother...or a dead one for that matter. So to not only have the Queen being in a chunk of this movie, but also having her own story branch tying into the feminist agenda running through the movie and being portrayed by Minnie Driver, I was in love with this character.

Pretty much similar to the Fab G, if you've seen Beverly Knight's one second in the trailers you've pretty much seen her in the movie. She contributes to Ella's story in the movie and only appears in the latter half of the movie in 2 maybe 3 scenes but she makes an impact because she's Beverly Knight. My only gripe with her is she does not sing in the movie, you have Beverly Knight with not even a solo in a group number?

Passable:

Unfortunately the star of the movie Camilla Cabello is just passable in this movie as Cinderella. She does have some humour about her and her singing is great despite maybe being autotuned because I know how she can sing, but she doesn't feel like Cinderella to me, it actually feels more like a version of what Emma Watson was doing with Belle in the live-action Beauty and the Beast rather than Cinderella but at least she tried.

As for Nicholas Galitzine, he's definitely more engaging as a modern-day Prince Charming, Robert is definitely more engaging a character than Ella unfortunately, which to be fair is still good as the 2015 Cinderella is the only other adaptation to really make the Prince interesting, but I can't quite put my finger on exactly which movie it is but there is another movie I have seen where the Prince Regent doesn't want to be king but the Princess does and has to fight for her right to be it...that's pretty much this story for them.

Also Pierce Brosnan as the King, despite jokingly singing towards the end, did a great job at being the archetype of old-fashioned values with his on-screen wife Minnie Driver's queen pushing him into a modern-day thinking.

Bad:

As for who's bad, I have to say it pains but the British comic relief characters really let the side down in this movie.

In the three mice defence, Romesh Ranganathan and James Acaster are somewhat funny but unnecessary. James Corden however is abismal in this movie. I get he produces it, but particularly after Cats I do not understand 1) Why he'd want to portray another CG animal or 2) Ever think that one shot of him changing back from human to mouse with his head on a mouse body was funny...it was terrifying.

Also this movie is supposedly a family-audience movie...so why include a crass joke of Corden's character talking about peeing out of his front tail?

Additionally to the three mice, Rob Beckett has a surprising role in this movie as a potential suitor for Vivian's daughters, but he simply portrays such a creepy, cringe-worthy character it's almost uncomfortable to watch.

New Additions:

So as well as the two queens and the British comic relief there is also the addition of Princess Gwen to the movie who is the sister of the Prince and the one who wants to be ruler. It's kind of the same story as Jasmine's in the live-action Aladdin as wanting to be Sultan but being a woman isn't taken seriously, however here it is treated more comedically as every time there is a serious moment with the King trying to force Robert to grow up and be King, she always tries to interject with "Would this be a bad time to tell you about an actual real reason why I would be a good ruler" and they make sense but she's always dismissed until the very end.

Then there's a town crier, who is also inserted as a musical number while he's reading his proclamations but as a rap. Honestly I don't know Doc Brown as an artist but I did happen to enjoy what he contributed.

Music:

Which brings us on nicely to the music of the movie as this is a musical and I usually break down the songs. Again this time I will be doing groupings of best to worse.

Honestly my favourite number is probably "Shining Star" mostly performed by Billy Porter with verses by Camilla Cabello and, unfortunately, James Corden.

I also enjoyed the two original songs of the movie, "Million to One" which is Cabello's "I Want" song of the movie and used a lot through the movie, and then also "Dream Girl" which is Idina's main other song but also sung by basically the women of the movie, it's Idina Menzel if you don't give her an original song it's an insult.

Idina's other song is a cover of "Material Girl" and honestly it is a lot of fun, Nicholas Galitzine's rendition of "Somebody to Love" was also fun and surprising as I did not think this guy could sing that well.

The group numbers were fun and well choreographed but they are also somewhat forgettable. The song at the ball of "Whatta Man/Seven Nation Army" was probably the most memorable but still just mediocre.

Recommendation:

So with all that said, would I recommend watching Sony's Cinderella? Honestly I would say it is worth at least one viewing, and I do recommend watching all the way through just to get the full experience. I do think it will do better as a streaming movie than it would have done as a theatrical release, but I cannot pinpoint a market for this movie.

I don't think this will go down as one of the great adaptations, but there are moments and aspects of the movie that sets it apart from the crowd.

Overall I rate this movie a 7/10, it's not as fantastic as I feel the trailers were making it out to be, but having seen the movie twice there are definitely elements of the movie I looked forward to watching the second time around.

So that's my review of Sony's Cinderella, what did you guys think? Post your comments and check out more Movie Reviews as well as other posts.

[shelovescontrol91]

In order to lure Camila Cabello to “Cinderella,” Kay Cannon borrowed a page from Prince Charming’s playbook. Sony told Cannon she could direct the film — she had already been writing the screenplay — provided she could convince the pop star that “Cinderella” should be her acting debut. So off Cannon went to Miami to meet with Cabello, having packed a glass slipper she’d bought on Etsy, even though her producers told her that would be “weird,” she says.

“I was there for, like, 30 seconds. And I’m like, ‘I hesitate to do this!’ And I pull out this glass slipper. ‘Does it fit?’”

However embarrassing, the gesture worked. In May, Amazon Studios bought “Cinderella” from Sony — with Cannon’s blessing — and it will premiere on the streamer on Sept. 3. While it’s disappointing that the movie musical won’t primarily play in theaters, the director, who has a daughter too young to get vaccinated, sees only the bright side.

“If the goal is for people to feel joy,” Cannon says, “I think we’re going to reach more people.”

At 47, Cannon is among the still-too-small group of women directors who have a Midas touch for mainstream, feminist comedies. After getting her start as a writer for “30 Rock,” Cannon wrote the three “Pitch Perfect” movies and directed “Blockers,” an emphatically R-rated comedy with a dirty mind and a loving heart.

In summer 2017, Cannon had just completed filming “Blockers” when her agent told her that James Corden wanted to speak with her about a “Cinderella” project. She jumped at the chance — but only because she wanted to meet the late-night talk-show host, not because she had any interest in fairy tales or princess culture. In fact, Cannon was certain that any new “Cinderella” would be a non-starter, since Disney’s 2015 live-action version, starring Lily James, had grossed more than $540 million worldwide so recently. “Nothing’s going to come out of this,” she remembers thinking.

But when Corden and his Fulwell 73 producing partner Leo Pearlman pitched her the idea of a “Cinderella” musical with contemporary songs, saying she could rewrite the fable however she liked, she immediately changed her mind. “I have no poker face,” Cannon says. “And I was like, ‘I want to do this!’”

Cannon’s “Cinderella” has a thoroughly modern message. Ella isn’t interested in marriage, wanting instead to travel the world and be a designer.  Cannon also toned down the canonical cattiness of Ella’s stepfamily, and upped the story’s comedy potential. All the while, characters such as the stepmother (Idina Menzel) and the prince (Nicholas Galitzine) are singing songs like “Material Girl” and “Somebody to Love” and “Pitch Perfect”-style mashups like “Whatta Man” with “Seven Nation Army.”

At every step, her guiding principle was “How can it be different?” “I wanted people to get their money’s worth,” Cannon says, “or why do it at all?”

In an interview with Variety, Cannon talks about how COVID-19 affected “Cinderella,” her experience as a woman director and how things have changed in comedy.

The Cinderella story has been told and retold, and had just been a live-action movie when you signed on to write this. How did you want your version to be different? And is it significant here that Camila Cabello is a woman of color?

Yes, I wanted to make sure it was incredibly inclusive. And her being Cuban Mexican is no small thing, and what she represents to millions of people — not only her fans, but to millions.

The story has mostly been told and retold almost exclusively by men: I feel it when I watch. The 2015 Kenneth Branagh “Cinderella” was hugely successful, and it was beautiful. And I love the Whitney Houston, Brandi “Cinderella.” It just feels a little told from their gaze. And I really felt like it was important to me to tell it through my gaze.

Can you talk about creating the Fab G, and what you wanted from that character?  

So many amazing actresses have played that role — so I’d written that role to be a man. And, quite honestly, the only one who fit all of everything I wanted was Billy Porter; I wrote it with him in mind. He’s just such a great singer. He’s just so talented. Because I wrote it specifically for Billy, the character kind of came easy. I just wrote it in his voice, and tried to make it funny. I had actually had another song in there, and then as soon as Billy was confirmed, we picked “Shining Star.”

Is the Fab G gender non-binary?

We talked about it. In having many conversations with Billy, I was like, “I think the answer needs to come from you.” He has said “they/them,” and “magic has no gender.” Non-binary for sure.

You started filming in England in February 2020. Tell me about shutting down because of COVID.

We had shot the ball the first week of March, which is something I do not believe I would have been able to do coming back — and it wasn’t a super-spreader. I’d shot all of the Fab G stuff, and all the basement stuff.

It felt like something out of “The Amazing Race” — like, pack up all your stuff! I’d been in the U.K. for like four months, and my family was there. My daughter was going to school there, and my husband was the writer on set. So we packed everything up, and then Camila and her family and my family, we flew back. My husband’s family is in Maine, and so we just stayed in Maine the entire time.

That sounds so nice, actually.

I did all of post in a boathouse in Maine. It was pretty awesome, actually.

During the break, what were you doing?

It was like getting a second prep, really. I was working with my editor, Stacey Schroeder, and we were putting together what we had. And then I was able to see what I needed and what I didn’t need. And I was doing a ton of rewriting, and I was doing a ton of prep that we didn’t necessarily have. Because I had all the opening, I had the finale, I had “Somebody to Love,” I had “Am I Wrong,” “Material Girl” — all these big numbers.  

Movie theaters have reopened, and this was obviously made with a theatrical audience in mind. How did the Amazon of it all happen?

Sony is a business, first and foremost. I know that Sony loves the movie, and that partnership was really great on that level. So I think it was hard for them to give it up, but I’m really quite happy that people can see this in this safety of their own homes with loved ones. And it is a wonderful theatrical experience, especially with the music and the sound and everything. And it will open theatrically in some theaters.

It not being a wide release in theaters means that we’re not healthy yet. And so that’s what’s the most upsetting — that we’re not healthy.

As you were moving from being a performer to being a screenwriter, did you always have directing in mind, or was that something that you discovered you wanted to do?

I was led to it. When I was at “30 Rock,” by like Season 5, I really wanted to direct an episode. And I was too chickenshit to ask. I was the writer/producer who was always on set — at that point, I’d spent my 10,000 hours on set for sure. And it wasn’t until I had a meeting with Nathan Kahane at Lionsgate, and he was like, “You should be directing your own stuff.” I have such a respect for academics, and I never went to film school, so I just didn’t think I could do it.  And then once he put that in my head, I was like, “Yeah, you know what? I can do it.'”

And is that how “Blockers” came about?  

Exactly. Yeah, they sent me the script with an offer to direct. And with no questions asked. I didn’t have to do any kind of auditioning.

That is very rare! Obviously, things have gotten better for women directors in the past few years, after years of the most appalling statistics. What obstacles do you feel like you’ve faced as a woman director?  

Especially with “Blockers,” I had a very good experience. I feel like the obstacles I have to face really are from the powers that be that still fight me at every level on what women want to watch, or think is funny. Or what is funny — forget gender.

My stuff happens to have female leads, and it’s female driven. So the jokes are coming out of women’s mouths. And I cannot tell you the amount of fighting I have about what they think is going to work, and what they think isn’t going to work. And there’s a lot of like, “I have all the expertise, you do not have the experience.”

And it’s just like, ‘I’ve been working in the comedy side for 15 years now — successfully.” And so what ends up happening is, I fight and fight and fight, and then I just do it and get it in. And then it gets put in front of an audience and the audience laughs. And then they have to say, “OK, that does work.” And you might not think that that’s that big of a deal. Maybe that’s creatively for everybody. Maybe it’s not gender specific. I tend to believe that it is gender specific.

Is that at the studio level?

From my experience, it’s mostly the studio level. And maybe I’m just sensitive to it or whatever. But I just feel like there’s a lot of conversations about what is funny out of a woman’s mouth. What’s allowed. And I feel like no matter how much success I had with “Pitch Perfect,” I think it’s still as much of a fight now as it was then. Which doesn’t make sense to me.

With “Cinderella” too?  

Oh, especially with “Cinderella.”

And now we’re back on the record after going off for a bit! I rewatched the “Black Tie” episode of “30 Rock” yesterday, which you wrote with Tina Fey, in which Paul Reubens plays an afflicted prince. That was the moment in Season 1 when I realized, OK, I love “30 Rock.”

[Affects Prince Gerhardt voice] “THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY BIRTHDAY.”

That was the first thing I ever wrote! You know, professionally.

An unbelievable calling card to have as your first screen credit.

Yes! I was asked recently who is my Fab G, and my answer is Tina Fey. I wrote stuff as a friend she was reading. And I never thought that she would consider me for her staff, and she just grabbed me and was like, “You’re gonna do this!” I thank her every day for giving me that opportunity.

There are so many conversations right now about what’s acceptable in comedy. As a screenwriter who’s done mostly comedy, how do you feel about that?

Right now I think we’re in the muck, and I think we’re striving for equality. And we’re trying to work things out! Of course we should look back at things that were done 15 years ago, and be like, “Oh, no!”

I don’t know if this is a story I should tell. But I can remember getting notes to put the f-slur into “Pitch Perfect” as them being bullied like by the cool athletic guys. And I was like: “No! I can’t do that.” I think I put it in for a draft, and a friend of mine read it, and she’s like, “You cannot have that in.” And I was like, “It’s a note I was given!” I was told to do that, you know?’ And then like realizing, no, it’s unacceptable. You cannot use that word. Even if you’re trying to show that it’s awful, don’t do it.

You have to have your moral compass, and know what’s right for you. And there’s just some things we just shouldn’t tolerate anymore. And they’re just not acceptable. I’m certain if I looked back at stuff that I would cringe, you know? Or just, that’s how people thought then. And I was one of those people. But certainly now if you know better, you do better, right? Is that too soapboxy?

This interview has been edited and condensed.

[dailynicholasgalitzine]

If anything is going to get you in the Christmas spirit, it’s English actor Nicholas Galitzine’s latest look. In his newest starring role, the 26-year-old wears a dashing Feng Chen Wang red suit, with any echoes of Old Saint Nick negated by the slick fit and even slicker hairdo.

He wore the tailoring to join an all-star cast including model and British Vogue cover star Adut Akech, The Morning Show actor Bel Powley and designer Michael Halpern in a new tongue-in-cheek film for Mercedes-Benz. The stars appear as contestants in a retro take on a gameshow hosted by Adut, Supermodel Fashion Statement, in the hope of winning a Mercedes G-Class. Nicholas plays a heightened version of himself in the “OTT” production, which was “super fun” to film, he told Miss Vogue over the phone.

“The red suit really just kind of popped along with the other extremely bold outfits we wore as a cast,” he said. “I’m very much an easy person, and I love to work with people who have bold eccentric vision. As a performer, I love to facilitate that in whatever way.” 

Nicholas’s performing career wasn’t part of any grand plan – he says he was more at home on the rugby pitch than the stage while at school. But a trip to the Edinburgh Fringe saw him return to South West London with a flurry of agents eager to have him on their books. “I was always a pretty shy kid. At that point in my life, [being in a play] felt like a big step that I needed to take, but I wasn’t expecting anything to come of it,” he said. “There, this idea was presented to me of potentially becoming an actor, which was kind of crazy. I left school unsure of what I wanted to do in life. It was kind of by fate that it came at this perfect moment, and I haven’t really looked back since. I don’t think anyone who I went to school with would have necessarily have been like, ‘Oh, he’s going to be an actor one day.’ I am just as surprised as anyone else.”

Seven years have since passed, and Nicholas has had roles in Netflix’s Chambers and as a closeted teen in the Irish film Handsome Devil, and played Timmy Andrews in The Craft: Legacy, released earlier this year. But it’s his role as Prince Charming in the forthcoming live action retelling of Cinderella – due for release early in 2021 – that is sure to catapult him fully into the spotlight.

For Prince Charming, Nicholas drew on his own personality and experience to bring a modern, more human element to the role. “I definitely had a sort of rebellious period as a kid and was alway getting into trouble and was very mischievous,” he chuckled down the phone. “Yet I’ve always aspired to be the quintessential gentleman. This version of Prince Charming is very much a fusion of both those things. He’s not your typical clean-cut, linear fairytale prince, there’s definitely an edge to him and there are things about him that make him more human than your typical fairytale prince.”

The release of Cinderella couldn’t be more timely, he hopes. After the last 12 months, a happily ever after might be just what everyone needs. “People will be drawn in by the familiarity of it, but then ultimately surprised by our interpretation of it, which is kind of the best of both worlds,” Nicholas said. “I think you always feel a certain level of nervousness when you’re taking on a character that is so well known and so iconic. I felt very comfortable in the fact that we were making something bold and new, and with the team that was assembled around me, I was just so supported going through the process.”

Fans of the original Disney classic will be pleased to hear that this Cinderella is packed with musical numbers. “I just had such an incredible amount of fun doing it, being in a movie musical is one of the greatest creative gifts you can possibly imagine,” said the actor. “It was definitely intimidating in the beginning, but as soon as we finished I was so sad it was over.” Of his co-star, Camila Cabello, who plays the titular role, Nicholas said: “I can tell you for a fact that I have never felt as untalented as when I had to sing alongside her and the other incredible singers, like Idina Menzel (Cinderella’s evil stepmother), and Billy Porter (who plays a genderless Fairy Godmother). I just feel so blessed to be on these tracks with these incredible singers, and regardless of what happens in life, no one can take that away from me now.”

The Cinderella soundtrack won’t be the only album Nicholas appears on next year. “I’m going to be releasing some of my own music in the new year, which is super exciting because I’ve never really had time to pursue that, as acting has taken precedence,” he said. “My goal is to continue working with passionate, driven, artists who are willing to think out of the box, and to keep challenging myself as an artist and a creative.”

Fashion is something else that Nicholas is keen to get his teeth into. Having donned “Cuban heels and super-tight trousers” to play Prince Charming, he’s been picking up style notes from set. “I think you have to step outside of your aesthetic comfort zone when you’re creating characters, because for me, a lot of characterisation happens in costume building,” he explained. “I’ve been very lucky to play a plethora of different characters, and have had to experiment with a lot of styles that aren’t typically what I wear and have been influenced through that.”

He said he admires the wardrobe of Harry Styles, who famously takes a fluid approach to getting dressed. “Something that I’ve definitely taken on when I think of my style icons – people like Harry Styles and the way he’s managed to bring a femininity to his masculinity – is that that’s definitely the way that we’re moving as men going into 2021.” Nicholas name drops young designers Daniel W. Fletcher and Harris Reed as creatives he would like to work with in the near future, and adds that he’s long admired the work of Kim Jones and yearns to own a Tom Ford Suit.

Though classically handsome, Nicholas admits that he hasn’t always felt accepted by the fashion and film worlds. As a broad-shouldered former rugby player, Nicholas said some fashion brands simply don’t cater to his shape, but added that things are changing. “I still have thick thighs, but the male aesthetic is very much tailored to the Timothée Chalamets and the Charlie Plummers of this world,” he said. “I think that we’re moving back into this space of normalising different body types, for both men and women. I think there has been a beauty standard in fashion and the movie industry, but all the shapes are great shapes as far as I’m concerned. If people don’t want my thick thighs then that’s just that’s their fault.”

BY NAOMI PIKE (16 DECEMBER 2020) BRITISH VOGUE