Tag: NicholasGalitzine

Masters of the Universe

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Based on the film, TV show and toy line from Mattel of the same name, Masters of the Universe has been totally revamped and is ready to enter the twenty first century. When his kingdom of Eternia is taken over by the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto), Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) is sent to Earth for his protection. Despite dealing with normal every day life as a human, Adam has never forgotten who he is. In order to save his kingdom, Adam must retrieve the Sword of Power. Only then can he return to Eternia and claim his rightful title as He-Man.

I was not the demographic for this franchise growing up. Though it came out a few years before I was born, it wasn’t ever anything I got invested in later on. I actually didn’t know much about the story or the lore beforehand. All I knew was that it had somewhat of a reputation for being corny and kind of terrible. Enter director Travis Knight. Having prior experience with adapting a toy line to a film series, he seemed like the perfect choice for a reboot. And boy did he knock it out of the park!

It’s been a hot minute since I was genuinely excited for a superhero/fantasy film. Marvel has been lacking and DC is still trying to find its footing after they decided to rework everything. This first foray back into the world of Eternia and these characters was such an enjoyable ride. As someone who didn’t know anything about it going in, I appreciated the origin story before diving into the main conflict. It helped set the scene, but it didn’t overstay its welcome and from there on out it progressed at a solid pace. I was just so intrigued with what was unfolding on screen in front of me.

Galitzine smashed it as Prince Adam. I’ve seen him play awkward before and he does it so well. I liked the juxtaposition between him as a very human individual and then seeing his transformation into the hero we grow to love. It was smart to have him not all of a sudden be the perfect fighter either, but instead hone his craft over time. His team consisted of a colorful variety of characters. Camila Mendes starred as Teela, Adam’s childhood friend and potential love interest. I thought she was so kick ass in this role and I was obsessed with her hair and eye color. Idris Elba portrayed Duncan, Teela’s father and a long time mentor of Adam’s. We’ve seen the down on their luck drunk bit before, but he did it well enough. I was still glad when he snapped himself out of it and got his mojo back. Kristen Wiig lended her voice talents to Roboto. She had some great one liners, however her character wasn’t featured as much as she could have been. Another character who could have been given more of a limelight was Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn. I was excited when I heard she was in the cast, but I didn’t understand the purpose she brought. She was just kind of there lingering in the background. Leto was hands down the scene stealer as Skeletor. Say what you will about him as a person, he gave it his absolute all. I don’t think I have ever seen such a well rounded villain before. He was menacing yet hilarious and I was vibing with everything he was doing.

What I liked the most about Masters of the Universe is the fact that it didn’t take itself too seriously. It was knew what it wanted to do and it achieved that. It leaned into the camp and silliness and while not all of the jokes worked, most of them did. I thought the casting choices were spot on and the world of Eternia and its surroundings was so well thought out and beautifully constructed. There is so much more to tell so I really hope we get a sequel.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

The Idea Of You

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Adapted from Robinne Lee’s acclaimed novel The Idea of You, follows Solène (Anne Hathaway), a forty year old single mother who meets Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), lead singer of the most popular boyband on the planet August Moon, while at Coachella. Their undeniable chemistry develops into something more, but Hayes’s celebrity status and Solène’s age threaten to come between them.

I read the book earlier this year in anticipation of the film. It instantly became one of my all time favorites. I didn’t think anything would be able to come close to its perfection. Overall I was pleased with how it turned out and felt like it stayed true to the source material.

Hathaway has never been better. This woman does not age; she is not only gorgeous, but her interpretation of Solène was so on point. As you get to know her, you just want her to get her happy ending. Galitzine, on the other hand, has shown that he is a dynamic actor who is up for pretty much everything that is thrown his way. He was the perfect choice for Hayes. Harry Styles comparisons aside, he made Hayes his own complete with the British accent, dark smouldering look and tattoos to boot. The two flickered brightly when they were on screen together and made me feel all the feels.

There have been a few instances portrayed on screen where the woman is older than the man in the relationship. She’s often shown as being in the wrong whereas if it was the other way around, the man would be patted on the back. The fact that these two individuals just want to be together regardless of what society expects from them was refreshing. It didn’t come without its backlashes and these were hard to watch, but it was extremely realistic and I appreciated how the film explored it like it did in the book.

The Idea of You is one of the better book to film adaptions that I have seen. Thanks to the incredible casting and sizzling attraction between Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine, the characters that I fell in love with in the book were able to come to life. While I wasn’t a fan of the changes they made to the ending, this is a film that I will happily revisit in the future. Until then, I will be singing along to all of August Moon’s hits.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Bottoms

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Every now and then, a movie will come along and charm the socks off you. That is Bottoms.

PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) are best friends who couldn’t be more unpopular if they tried. After accidentally injuring the star quarterback, they come up with an elaborate lie that they they are starting a self defense club for women. What nobody knows is this is all part of a larger plan to lose their virginities to two cheerleaders that they have massive crushes on.

The relatability and awkwardness of our main characters were so spot on. These are the types of girls that I went to high school with; unsure of who they are, but not without hopes and dreams for themselves and their futures. Seeing such a strong friendship flourish on screen was also refreshing and lovely. You could tell that they were each others’ ride or dies.

In the past, I’ve felt like the typical high school movie is overly raunchy and more often than not with a male perspective. This time around, the women were in the forefront. Women supporting women is so important. The sisterhood that developed between the fight club members was so genuine. People who would never mesh on paper such as offbeat Hazel (Ruby Cruz) and cheerleaders Isabel (Havana Rose Liu) and Brittany (Kaia Gerber) teamed up for the greater good and it was so empowering to watch.

On top of all this, the film was actually very funny. A lot of that was thanks to Nicholas Galitzine who was the big scene stealer. I’ve seen him in quite a few projects over the years, but never like this. Give this guy all comedic roles because he fucking smashed it.

Overall, Bottoms was the most fun I’ve had watching a film in a long time. There was so much to like about it, but at the end of the day it came down to how heartwarming it all was. I’m so glad I decided to give it a chance!

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Red, White & Royal Blue

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Based on the bestselling novel by Casey McQuiston, Red, White & Royal Blue follows the story of Alex (Taylor Zakhar Perez), the First Son of the President of the United States and his rivalry with Prince of England Henry (Nicholas Galitzine). When an encounter goes wrong, the two are forced to reconcile for the good of their nations. But as they spend more time together, a friendship develops and soon, so does something more.

I never read the book so I cannot say for certain how closely they stuck to the source material. I appreciated that I was able to enjoy it from an outsider perspective and ended up really having a good time with it!

What makes the film work so well is the casting of Alex and Henry. Zakhar Perez brings a charm and charisma to Alex’s character. The confidence he exuded was magnetic and made him really easy to root for. Galitzine gave everything you’d expect for that of a prince. He embodied the strong and silent type who was afraid of being true to himself. Together the two had an electrifying chemistry.

The rest of the cast were fine too, when they had their moments to shine. Uma Thurman as the President was an interesting choice and while I could have done without the accent, it was fun to have such a big name attached to the project. Stephen Fry, additionally, as Henry’s grandfather was a welcome addition. My favorite side character, however, was Sarah Shahi’s Zahra who managed to steal the spotlight every time she was on screen. I’m still cackling over her I will Brexit your head from your body line.

While the plot was in no way realistic, that didn’t deter me from having an absolute blast. Seeing Alex and Henry’s lives collide from the US to England and beyond, mixed with drama and heart, I’m already looking forward to revisiting this film again whenever I want a pick me up. Also, I would not be opposed whatsoever to a sequel!

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Purple Hearts

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Cassie Salazar (Sofia Carson) and Luke Morrow (Nicholas Galitzine) couldn’t be more opposite from each other if they tried. Cassie, a singer/songwriter, works every odd job in order to afford her diabetes medicine while Luke has decided to enlist in the military after a stint in rehab. Deciding to get married solely for the benefits they would both receive, the two believe their arrangement won’t last for longer than a year. But when Luke is injured in battle, everything changes.

To think I almost missed out on this movie. I wasn’t expecting much from it because, you know, Netflix. Their films have been more miss lately than hit and I didn’t want to be disappointed. But I was in the mood for something romantic and this totally fit the bill. I have to say it actually exceeded my expectations in more ways than one and I’m still surprised over how much I liked it.

Carson and Galitzine shined together as the two leads. Their chemistry was palpable from their first scene in the bar and didn’t let up for one second. I liked how it was slow burn and how they really got to know each other before their feelings developed on a deeper level. The fake relationship trope was well done here, much to my delight.

While the film was predictable, I have to say that that didn’t deter my enjoyment of it. Sometimes it’s nice knowing that there will be a happy ending. It’s all about the journey that takes you there. I would have appreciated more in the final act, however. All the loose ends were tied up rather quickly and a bit too perfectly for my liking. There were certain conversations that should have been had, like between Cassie and her mother, that would have added a little more beef.

Overall, Purple Hearts was probably one of the biggest surprises I’ve had in a long time. I went into it not expecting anything and was really touched when it was done.

Rating: ♥♥♥.5

Cinderella

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A modern take on the classic fairytale, this new version of Cinderella follows an ambitious woman named Ella (Camila Cabello) who dreams of becoming a dressmaker. Living in the basement of her stepmother Vivian’s (Idina Menzel) house with only three mice (James Corden, James Acaster & Romesh Ranganathan) as friends, Ella knows she has what it takes to change her life for the better. When she bumps into Robert (Nicholas Galitzine), a handsome stranger who just so happens to be the prince, her choice of pursuing her dreams or following her heart suddenly seems impossible to choose between.

Let me start by saying that I think people are taking this movie way too seriously. It’s supposed to be fun and light and I think it succeeded. I enjoyed the updated plot and how they tried to blend together pieces of the original in with the twenty first century.

While some of the casting choices weren’t the best, I have to say that Camila Cabello’s acting wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. She wasn’t my favorite by far, but she didn’t bother me like I had anticipated. Idina Menzel was fabulous as Vivian and I appreciated how we were able to understand more about why her character was the way she was. Tallulah Greive who played Princess Gwen was a surprise; I only wish we had more of her. The best part of the whole film was Billy Porter. He brought a whole new meaning to being a fairy godmother and his one scene was simply not enough! I only wish Pierce Brosnan and Minnie Driver as King Rowan and Queen Beatrice were more convincing in their roles.

The best part of Cinderella was the singing and dancing. Mixing famous covers and original songs was brilliant and the dance sequences made me want to get up and sway along.

Overall, Cinderella was a good time and I think people should give it some more credit.

Rating: ♥♥♥