REVIEW: Bohemian Rhapsody

Directed by Bryan Singer
2018 Musical Biography
2 hours 14 minutes
From 20th Century Fox

Starring
Rami Malek
Gwilym Lee
Ben Hardy
Joe Mazzello
Lucy Boynton
Aiden Gillen
Allen Leach
Tom Hollander
Aaron McCusker


Come on everybody, let's rock.  As musical biographies go, especially of bands, this is about as good as it gets.  My entire audience responded to it from start to finish.   So far it's my favorite movie this year although I acknowledge there are some goodies still to come.  

Set during the early 1970's, the film chronicles the life of British singer Freddie Mercury, the front man of the rock band Queen and the group's rise to fame.  It goes from the time that Mercury comes upon the other band members, who have just lost their lead singer, and brings to their attention what an asset he'd be.  It ends with the group's legendary appearance at the Live Aid concert in 1985.

Born Farrokh Bulsara in 1946 on Zanzibar, he moved with his family to India and later to England.  He was most famous for his four-octave vocal range and his flamboyant personality.

He wrote numerous hits for Queen including Killer Queen, Somebody to Love, Don't Stop Me Now, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, We Are the Champions and the title tune and the film traces the roots of these iconic songs and Queen's revolutionary sound.  Freddie soon took over the group and was determined that they would not get into a musical rut, that diversity would be their key.

In this regard, one of the fun segments is when the group attempts to woo a new producer who, of course, doesn't quite understand their music or what they're trying to say.  This is highlighted with the introduction of the title tune, at around six minutes long (far too long for radio play, it's said, and never mind that Richard Harris' 1968 recording of MacArthur Park was over seven minutes long).  Considered by the producer as gibberish and overly dramatic, he took a pass on hiring the group.  The song, of course, went on to be one of those you simply couldn't get out of your head.

The film highlights Freddie's difficult time with his straight-laced father, his early and long love affair with a woman, his burgeoning gayness and his breakup with Queen when his head got a little too big to put on his colorful frocks.

For those of you planning to see it for the hot gay sex scenes, give it a rest because they're non-existent.  There are some kissing scenes and quite a number of references to it but that's about it.  My favorite line is there's room for only one hysterical queen in this group.  Fussy straight audiences should not have a difficult time, that is, if you attend at all.  Some may find fault actually that Freddie's gayness wasn't worked into the screenplay more than it was, pointing out, perhaps, how essential it was to his music.  But I am not among those naysayers.  I saw it as handled quite well.

Who won't be bothered, of course, are the diehard fans of Queen.  You folks are in for a treat.  The music, of course, is thrilling but so are the visuals.  The transitions from scene to scene are edited to perfection and managed to give me goosebumps at times with the excitement they generated.

Far and away this is the Rami Malek show.  I am sure I will never think of him as Mr. Robot again.  He is so believable as Freddie Mercury that I would be shocked if he doesn't grab an Oscar nomination for best actor.  If he wins he certainly needs to thank those fake teeth.

All the actors performed well with a special nod, of course, going to those portraying the other members of Queen... Gwilym Lee as Brian May, Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor and Joe Mazzello as John Deacon.  Lucy Boynton is a total delight as Freddie's girlfriend.

Filming was a bit of a mess.  Before he was fired, director Singer apparently had some snits and repeatedly disappeared from the set.  Production was temporarily halted while a new director was sought.  Dexter Fletcher took over the reins at the end of the shoot.  The studio decided that Singer, however, would receive sole credit.

What I saw was simply great fun.  I only wish it would have been longer.



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