Wow 😍

I have another observation and meta post on the film and its staging. Do people want to hear it? Are you sick of me yet?

Don’t care, my blog, you’re getting it anyway.

So. Paris.

“The key stays on during sex.” Yes. Lolz.

But.

That’s the key to his family home, and he took to wearing it when they moved into the White House. It’s not a massive extrapolation to say that it’s a way for Alex to feel connected to that home, to his roots.

I have already talked a bit about how this movie has staged and sequenced the different parts to show how they fall into their forever, there’s the kind of structural choices that make this ex-English teacher go absolutely feral, but it’s the framing of this which is what I would like to talk about this Sunday morning.

Because look at where that key is. Look how it is framed.

It is front, centre, and pointing right down at Henry’s chest.

If you’re looking for a bigger metaphor that Henry is Alex’s home then you’re not going to find it elsewhere.

The key is between them the first time they make love, it hangs down from Alex’s neck, aimed directly at him. I talked about the significance of the key before, how because of Alex Henry gets a key and a home and all that means. But Alex is wearing that key while in the White House because it’s his family home. Because he knows the White House won’t be his home forever. So he has that key as a reminder, as a link back to his roots.

And it is framed, so perfectly and clearly between them. That is a choice, that was deliberate. If Matthew hadn’t wanted it on show Alex would have taken it off or slung it around his back to get it out of the way. So the fact it’s there, hanging perfectly straight (ha) down and pointing at Henry’s chest, at his heart? It means something.

It means everything. Alex’s home won’t be the White House for much longer. And while the home in Texas will always be there for him? From Paris onwards that isn’t it. Home, as they say, is where the heart is. Alex’s key to his family home points to where his heart is and from this point on neither of the boys can deny that what they have is big and real and terrifyingly brilliantly forever.

And yes, he gives that key to Henry after the storming of Kensington Palace but…

Look at what’s on Alex’s nightstand. Here. Lemme give you a close up.

He takes the key off. After that first time (at least) he takes the key off and places it on the nightstand. He doesn’t need to keep a reminder of home with him because he’s already learning, already discovering that Henry is his home now. His home, his heart, is in that bed, curled into his side, learning about his history and his hopes and his dreams and why he does what he does because of what it means to him. After Paris Alex opens up to Henry in the biggest of ways possible, wanting to show him his life and his home State and share insignificant moments with him.

Alex is building a new life, a new home for himself post his mom’s presidency.

And the key literally pointed him in that direction.