Hooray, Its Monday. That means like most of you, and the rest of the free world, I got to hit the theaters over the weekend. I like to do this every weekend. I wanted to take a little bit of time to tell you my experience at the movie,. Just a minute to shed a little insight and perspective on Hollywood’s latest hit. Seeing a great movie in the theater can be a life altering experience. It can also be an easy way to waste a couple of hours and 30 bucks. My hopes is that with a quick review from this self-proclaim movie connoisseur I can save readers a few hours. Or better yet, possibly change a few more lives. This week the Freddie Mercury biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody.
Bohemian Rhapsody is the latest in the epic bio-pic set to secure a legends legend. A foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury’s lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. In the process, cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.
Bohemian Rhapsody 62% Life Altering
As much as i’ve been anticipating this, I’ve managed to build a better legend of Freddie than this densely packed film of contrived , basic, and uneventful account of Freddie’s life. I left the theater knowing I got got, while still blaring Queens essentials from my car stereo. I got got, it isn’t the life changing trip to the theaters I anticipated, but its a decent enough movie.
Rock You it Does Not
The Story seems uncontested and meteoric rise to living legend status. I was expecting to get a some fascinating insight in to Freddie, I didn’t. They just sort of show up and magic happens. Take it to far, fight about it, break up, get back together for one last epic show. Wasn’t this the plot of Spinal Tap? My Take, Queens is great enough themselves to make this movie good, but a good Queen movie this is not.
Queen’s lush, revolutionary sound and a lead singer, whose stage charisma and astonishing four-octave range made him one of the 20th century’s most beloved rock stars. The content for a great Bio Pic is there, but it lacks the adversity, Queen rises quickly and doesn’t fall. There is a back story to what makes Faruk become Freddie. This isn’t it. Then it wraps up neatly, all the atonement and character growth packed in to a quick car ride to Wembley. This is where the movie gets great, Great from a movie perspective. Brain Singer manages to recreate Queens legendary performance in magnificent fashion. Shot for Shot, Minute for Minute. The movie scores on this 20 mins alone. I will go back an watch this 20 min scene many, many more times.
The Best Scene in the Movie
In a negotiation and argument with their record company executive played by Mike “Waynes World” Myers. Excellent. In which they are arguing over the 6 min length of the song Bohemian Rhapsody being too long for radio play. Myers’s Ray Foster says “Teenagers will not crank up the volume in the car and sing Bohemian Rhapsody”. He may as well pause, look directly in to the camera and give a Wayne Campbell thumbs up and wink. Magnificently executed. Party On Wayne.
Rami Malek
Rami Malek stars as Freddie Mercury. I just didn’t get a Freddie Mercury impression from him. More of an uninteresting Freddie caricature. He is getting rave review and Oscar buzz, I just don’t see it. My reaction, Rami’s casting was a miss. It seems like i’m alone on this though. Lucy Boynton ‘s Mary Austin was a character added to the film which has no point or real reason for being in the story. Its the same movie with or with out her. It seems like almost all the characters in this story didn’t really need to be there. Also when a guy says” you don’t need them” to bandmates walking out and quitting, He is obviously the bad guy, although I cant figure out why.
Then there is Little Finger. Im sorry but I can not take Aidan Gillen seriously any longer. He is Little Finger doing Little Finger stuff and I cant get past it. I waited the whole movie for his betrayal. Turns out he was a solid guy? don’t believe it, he is Little Finger, he will betray you.
The Final Thought
Queen is an amazing band. There songs will be enjoyed by billions for centuries to come. This movie did not capture that.
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