Nov 10

Nov 10 Is this a review or is it just fantasy

Making a biopic is a risky endeavor, but reenacting the life of the most majestic rock band ever in an accurate, yet entertaining way while keeping it to an acceptable movie length is a challenge as legendary as Queen itself. If you’re a fan of Freddie, Brian, Roger and John, you outta book yourself a viewing before another one bites the dust.

Heads up; this review will be short, sweet and spoilers free.

Bad reviewers, bad!

Damn the critics. This is one of those times when I ask myself if I even saw the same movie. I make it a habit to check sites like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB before heading out to the theatre to help set my expectations but in this case no matter what was said, I wouldn’t let it impede on my experience. It’s going to be very difficult to keep this objective, so I just won’t. It may not have told the story of Mercury as faithfully as it could, but in its defense the movie has heart and a beat that matches May’s amazing guitar licks.

I get it, some parts of the story have been romanticized to paint the band’s, and especially Freddie’s darker moments in a lighter way. It also changes the timeline of dramatic events to increase the pace and skip less interesting details, but after reviewing each differences I can tell they made the right calls. Without giving it away, let’s just say the way the band meets is a whole lot cooler in the movie than what truly happened, but still reflects their spirit fairly well.

The Cast

Rami Malek must be nominated for an Oscar after such a stellar performance. The mimics, the voice, the attitude, the looks… he had it all! I never got the chance to see Freddie Mercury live, but I feel like he could fool a lot of people if he went on stage sporting that glorious ‘stache. Now it’s something to see for yourself and already well covered by the media, that said…

…the rest of the band is incredibly well represented. Fairly unknown Gwilym Lee comes in and nails Brian May’s character down to every details, even rocking the curly hair like his real life counterpart. Roger and John are also very close to the real deal. Digital Spy did a great comparison piece about it.

The Music

If you’ve been hiding under a rock and don’t know the guys behind hits like We Are the Champions and I Want to Break Free, welcome to Queen’s world. Make yourself comfortable and get ready to get your mind blown. For us fans, this movie was purely delicious to the hears. Every piece of music has been carefully placed within specific story beats for maximum impact. The way we are introduced to the groovy Another One Bites the Dust bass line or the origin of We Will Rock You’s internationally known, “instrumental” foot-tap and clap is just too clever to overlook. It will surely put a smile on your face.

Drama Queens

Don’t get me wrong, this picture isn’t purely a downer affair; it has spontenous and almost genius comedic timing. That being said, you will leave the theater wiping down a tear and reconsidering past mistakes. The story told in Bohemian Rhapsody will resonate with a lot of people, especially in their most loneliest times. I’ve seen others attempt to capture the true feeling of solitude on film before, but nothing ever came close to this. It’s been a full week and some of its scenes still haunt me, prevent me to sleep at night. I don’t know if it’s due to recent events in my life, but listening to Queen has reached new heights in intensity I’ve never would have thought possible.

The Verdict

Bohemian Rhapsody will make you think, laugh, cry, provide great life advice, and encourage positivity in the most dire of situations, all that while entertaining the hell outta you. I really couldn’t give out a more outstanding seal of approval - go watch this movie, right now! You could even say I’m putting you under pressure to do it.

“It started off so well
They said we made a perfect pair
I clothed myself in your glory and your love
How I loved you
How I cried”

— Queen, Save Me

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