Bohemian Rhasody is a musical biopic that tells audiences the story of one of greatest rock bands of all time, and the man who led them to unspeakable heights. The name Queen is synonymous with the rock genre, and for good reason. They pushed the limits on genre-bending, brought new sounds to the music industry, and continuously defied expectations. The story of Queen is a grand one, and Bohemian Rhapsody attempts to give it new life on the big screen. Directed by Bryan Singer and featuring Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, the movie accomplishes what it sets out to do. Thankfully, it does so with only a few minor setbacks.
Although Bohemian Rhapsody focuses on the band Queen, it’s more of a story about Freddie Mercury’s life and rise to stardom. The film begins in the early 70’s, highlighting the years where Freddie Mercury was known by his birth name, Farrokh Bulsara. Although slight, we get a look at his family, his upbringing, and the general disapproval from his straight-shooting father. However, Freddie’s passion and love for the eccentric quickly lead him to his eventual role as lead singer of Queen. From there, the movie flips back and forth between the storied career of the band, while also touching on Freddie’s personal life. As an ode to one of the greatest singers of all time, Bohemian Rhapsody does a good job paying homage and respecting the truth. While many like to paint Freddie Mercury as a straight, white male, the movie makes no qualms about his true identity. As the story progresses, we get hints of Freddie’s true personality, his motivations, and his struggle with self-identity.
As a musical biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody is ultimately a bit by-the-numbers. That’s not a terrible thing, considering the quality of the sound, visuals, and performances. However, you can expect to see a number of music montages (I stopped counting after six), some expected drama, and more. If you’ve seen a musical biopic before, Bohemian Rhapsody will feel familiar, but there’s an unmistakably unique tone to it. Like the band and man it focuses on, Bohemian Rhapsody feels exciting, in-your-face, and unrelentingly fun.
One of the best aspects of the film is the casting, which is surprisingly well done. Apart from Malek as Mercury, the cast is littered with excellent performances from both lesser known and high profile actors. Aidan Gillen (best known for his role “Little Finger” on Game of Thrones) does a great job as Queen’s manager, John Reid. There’s also a great cameo from Michael Myers as Ray Foster, a fictional record executive that deals with Queen early on. Finally, Rami Malek exudes an abundance of energy as Freddie Mercury, practically exploding off the screen. There’s an incredible amount of life in his performance, and you can tell he’s having a wonderful time in the role. Malek exhibits one of the best performance of the year, almost completely disappearing into the role. If this film (and Malek’s previous works) are anything to go off of, I strongly believe that the sky is the limit for his career.
As a final note, the film is shot incredibly well. From standard dialogue scenes to climactic moments, the camera paints a beautiful picture. Even in the numerous and occasionally excessive montage scenes, the visuals are quick, colorful, and psychedelic. If you’ve ever seen the classic music video for Bohemian Rhapsody, you’ll enjoy the visuals on display. Despite being a hefty amount of dialogue, drama, and some musical numbers, Bohemian Rhapsody is a visually intoxicating film that is a treat to watch. It’s also unexpectedly emotional, catching me by surprise quite a few times.
While not perfect, Bohemian Rhapsody is a fun and emotional journey through Queen’s history, full of foot-tappingly good tunes and emotional punches. While it doesn’t reach the emotional heights of films like Love & Mercy (about Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys) or the poignant and impacting narrative of Straight out of Compton, Bohemian Rhapsody is an uproarious celebration that should not be missed. As a tribute to the legacy of Freddie Mercury, it only does a few injustices, but the majority of the story is as effective and entertaining as one could hope. As a final note, Rami Malek’s performance is worthy of an Oscar nomination without pause, and that’s a good enough reason to go to the cinema.
[su_youtube_advanced url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP0VHJYFOAU”]
About Author
