Bohemian Rhapsody
My wife and I are both huge fans of Queen; my wife especially. Their sound is timeless and helped shape much of the music we listen to today. When their biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, was announced, we were first in line. It is a great film, highlighting the accolades, struggles, and creative genius of the famous band.
When first developing my review, I was going to be hard on the film. Like most biopics, the story isn't groundbreaking, and there's not much substance. Then I realized, I write reviews based on what I like. I don't work for the Academy. I don't get paid based on the accuracy of my critique. I am writing for ME. And honestly, I liked the film. It's a fun, music infused, joy ride.
Bohemian Rhapsody centers around Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury, and mainly tells his story; one that I thought I knew better. The movie apparently received a lot of pushback from fans who felt the directors "took it easy" on the band's lead man, with regards to his sexuality and overall ego. For me in particular, I don't know as much about Mercury's life and felt it was a balanced depiction. You also learn a lot of neat facts about the band, and how truly brilliant they were. No really, dudes were smart AF. One was an astro-physicist, another a dentist, and another an engineer. Those great minds were used to make fantastic music; with a band that wrote all of their own songs and created the sound we all love. For the people who are not Queen fans, you might just not realize it. There are many classic hits by them that aren't always remembered (Don't Stop Me Now, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, I Want to Break Free). I mean, their catalogue is huge! The movie re-instilled my passion for their music. It was truly fun to see how so many of their classics came to be.
Bohemian Rhapsody centers around Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury, and mainly tells his story; one that I thought I knew better. The movie apparently received a lot of pushback from fans who felt the directors "took it easy" on the band's lead man, with regards to his sexuality and overall ego. For me in particular, I don't know as much about Mercury's life and felt it was a balanced depiction. You also learn a lot of neat facts about the band, and how truly brilliant they were. No really, dudes were smart AF. One was an astro-physicist, another a dentist, and another an engineer. Those great minds were used to make fantastic music; with a band that wrote all of their own songs and created the sound we all love. For the people who are not Queen fans, you might just not realize it. There are many classic hits by them that aren't always remembered (Don't Stop Me Now, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, I Want to Break Free). I mean, their catalogue is huge! The movie re-instilled my passion for their music. It was truly fun to see how so many of their classics came to be.
What the movie does really well is accuracy. Rami Malek is Freddie Mercury. He learned all of his mannerisms, and does a great job of depicting the icon. He probably won't be recognized by the Academy, but his performance is spectacular and he should receive a lot of credit for his role. A major part in the film is Queen's final performance at Live Aid in London. If you have never seen this performance, go to youtube right now and watch. It is amazing and known as one of the greatest of all time. The movie shows the entire performance from start to finish, and the film becomes a concert in which you feel like you are present. Some of the CGI of a filled Wembley stadium is a little cheesy, but I don't feel it takes away from the moment. We found ourselves leaving the movie air-guitarring, and passionately singing the epic hits (apologies to everyone that had to witness it).
Overall, Bohemian Rhapsody is a good film and I would highly recommend it if you are a fan of music. I posted a video below containing a side by side comparison of the real Live Aid performance and the one in the movie. It won't ruin anything, because you can't truly feel it unless you see it on the big screen.
Overall, Bohemian Rhapsody is a good film and I would highly recommend it if you are a fan of music. I posted a video below containing a side by side comparison of the real Live Aid performance and the one in the movie. It won't ruin anything, because you can't truly feel it unless you see it on the big screen.
Photo Credit: Amazon
Review: 4/5
Movie Details: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727824/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Movie Details: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727824/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XqPBEODZ4s
Fun Fact: Freddie Mercury was the GOAT. Proven by science.
https://www.npr.org/2016/04/25/475611808/why-freddie-mercurys-voice-was-so-great-as-explained-by-science
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