Bohemian Rhapsody Review

I was slightly concerned seeing early reviews, because like Halloween (2018) they seemed to be very polarizing, however I went in optimistic and was not disappointed. I will say before I start, if you don't really care for Queen as a band, you may not necessarily find as much enjoyment as I did, however it is a very well made film. One cool thing as well is there was a short message that played before the movie stating that it was for the fans, and thanking the audience and everyone who worked on the film, which is always endearing to see when a project has an impact on the people that work on it.

Story- This section will actually be pretty brief since it chronicles an entire music career of a rock icon. It starts about the time of the band's formation leading up to one of the most important live performances in music history at the Live Aid Benefit Concert. One thing that was interesting that I didn't realize is that the band basically almost split up multiple times, or at the very least had somewhat frequent arguments. The fact that they stayed together because they viewed each other and their fans as a family was touching. It was also very informative, and went over details that some fans may have never even realized because they happened behind closed doors and could only come from the members themselves. The scope of the film overall felt grandiose, which is a perfect tribute to Freddie, and I think he'd have very much enjoyed it. Queen was a band of the people, even going so far as to make songs specifically to get them to participate, and they touch on that throughout the film.

One thing I do feel obligated to talk about is the claims that this movie sweeps the nature of Freddie's sexuality under the rug. I feel that this is a complete overreaction, and even if it wasn't, who cares? The thing that Freddie Mercury should be remembered for first and foremost is his band and the absolute perfection of the music. What the man did in his own time was personal to him, and doesn't concern other people. If it included more scenes, for example, homophobic people would have a fit too, you can't please everyone. I felt that they were respectful in discussing the topic of his sexuality in the film, and at the first introduction I thought it might not be present in the movie but as it progresses he gradually comes to terms with how he truly feels. Don't listen to the negativity surrounding this facet of the movie, because it was not "straightwashing" as people have described it as. None of this detracts from how legendary he was, both in portrayal in the film and in real life.

Cinematography/Props- The set decoration felt very authentic, and you could definitely see the influences of the age on display in the movie.The outfits in particular and the attention to detail the costume people showed was very commendable. This movie was beautifully shot, and as I talk about a bit later here, the editing was magnificent. There's one scene in particular that I really appreciated and adored, and it's where the band is using all of these unorthodox methods to create different sounds and noises for their tracks. It reminded me of what people do for audio tracks on movies, such as hitting a watermelon with a mallet to create the sound of a head being stomped or blown open, or aluminum paper being waved to create thunder effects. It was easily one of my favorite scenes of the year, and I love that this was actually done by the band, establishing even more the awesome nature of their music. Also the creative shots that were used to capture the band's performance and the crowd's reaction in the final concert was just exhilarating.

Acting- So the other members of the band were great in their parts, and the various people that Freddie interacted with and had relationships with in his life were done well, but man does Rami Malek nail his part. From the first conceptual photos from the movie before it came out were released, I believed he was a great double for Freddie Mercury. There were certain shots in the movie that with the lighting, it literally looked just like the man himself, it was astounding. He brought raw emotions and talent to the role, and there's been talks of this role getting him some buzz during award season, and while it seems movies like these always get some sort of recognition like that, this one deserves that honor, at the very least for his spot on portrayal. His movements mirrored Freddie, from something as simple as his walk to the onstage strutting and control of the space he had. In movies like these as well it seems that the character in question always has flaws, and this is no exception, however it was done with respect. One thing I did think about about his portrayal is how it reminded me of James Franco as Tommy Wiseau in The Disaster Artist, because he nailed Tommy's motions and voice inflection as well, as Rami did for Freddie.

Directing- So I assumed from everything I read that Bryan Singer directed this movie, however after doing research it appears that there were several issues and creative disputes with him, so Dexter Fletcher took over. I'm not exactly sure who had influence where in the movie, but either way props have to be issued for whoever. I really loved the way this movie was shot, and the creative decisions made a big impact on the overall product. The editing was very stylistic and very representative of Freddy and the band's aesthetic. I also appreciate how the movie focuses on the people around him, not just on the lead singer. I'm not sure if this next comment belongs here or cinematography but I'll include it here, there was one shot in particular where you can see the crowd in Freddie's eyes, showing how he sees the fans as extensions of himself, and the one thing he loves doing most. While it is a cliche shot to use, I felt in this instance it was warranted and represented him as a person. This movie didn't feel like a cash grab which I appreciated, the attention to detail was deliberate and given that the living members of the band were consultants on set, it's evident that real care was put into the final product.

Soundtrack/Audio- I almost didn't even write anything about this in my notes I took during the movie because I knew what to expect, and that is party time, excellence (had to drop a Wayne's World reference like the movie did). The soundtrack is of course Queen music, and what I especially appreciated was the wealth of live tracks they included, because obviously I wasn't alive at the time to experience the band live, so hearing it here was very enjoyable. I'm literally sitting here listening to the soundtrack and their music while writing this because I'm having Queen withdrawal. There was even one point during one of the live songs where I literally almost started clapping when it ended because I felt immersed and almost as though I was there, it was surreal.

Final Verdict- A. Typically with biopics, there are some lulls in how the story is told, however I was not bored a single minute watching this film. This was a fantastic tribute to a legendary band, and I really enjoyed my time getting to experience it.

#RamiMalek #Biopic #Drama