A New York hairdresser and a royal prince start an unlikely romance in this throwbackly prophetic watch
Gone are the days when a girl used to sit around and wait for a charming prince to come and rescue her. Today, she can sweep the prince off his feet… and change the world too?
royal treatment, the latest addition to Netflix’s long list of rom-coms, is an old story packed with freshness. With Laura Marano and Mena Massoud in the lead roles, the film follows the life of Isabella/Izzy, a New York hairdresser, and her chance encounter with Prince Thomas.
Free-spirited Izzy, who’s stuck running her mom’s tiny hairdressing salon, is a free spirit with a quintessential heart of gold. She distributes donuts to strangers, gives kids free haircuts, sets fire to miracles… and also stands up against inequality.
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A great chance to style Prince Thomas’s hair as his life links up with the royal family. Royal life in the fantasy world of Lavania – where the prince and his family live – is truer to anyone’s imagination, and includes a sprawling palace, butlers and, of course, dream weddings.
In one scene, Izzy’s friends Lolo and Destiny are given a hair and makeup orientation session where they are told that royal hair is quite different from ordinary people’s hair. The royal hair “flows, but does not budge,” he is politely informed. ,
royal treatment
- Director: Rick Jacobson
- Cast: Laura Marano, Mena Massoud, Cameron Rhodes, Chelsea Preston-Crayford, Sonia Grey, Jack Drew, Jane Van Epps, Amanda Billing, James Glynn, Taylor Barrett, Jay Simon and Grace Bentley-Sibuya
- Story: Sparks predictably fly when Izzy, a New York hairdresser, gets the chance to style Prince
- Duration: 97 Minutes
Among them are the common people in Lavania, who have limited means to move, live their lives by dancing and singing. Everyone in this state speaks in a different accent which may sound a bit strange, even though Izzy describes the place as a “melting pot.”
Eventually, the ever-smiling Izzy introduces Prince Thomas to the world outside his palace, is extremely honest to his face, and plans to change the world and its inequalities; All the qualities that make him fall in love with her.
The film is far from perfect, as the story has inconsistencies, the characters seem satirical, and there seems to be no real conflict in the love story that is tediously predictable. There’s nothing in this movie that you haven’t already seen in countless rom-coms, many of which have only popped up on Netflix over the years.
But what works in favor of the film is the cast. Both lead stars understand this style to the T; Mena Massoud is best known for playing Aladdin, and Laura Marano has starred in films such as A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wishes, Disney’s Austin & Allie, The Perfect Date, even more. John R. Graham’s soundtrack is also soulful and fits in well with the story.
While the film may fail to tickle any cell in your brain, at a time when the outside world is as harsh as it is, fantasies like these can offer a temporary escape from reality.
The Royal Treatment is currently streaming on Netflix
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