We have seen a plethora of biopics in recent years, and since there have been some iconic entertainers in our past, biopics chronicling different musicians have been quite popular. With films such as "Cabaret" '72, "Beyond the Sea" '04, "Ray" '04, "Love & Mercy" '14 and the like, We are due for another gem in the form of "Bohemian Rhapsody".
This story is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek). This spans a 15 year collaboration starting in 1970. Freddie 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 including Brian May (Gwilym Lee), Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) and John Deacon (Joe Mazzello), through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. They reached unparalleled success, but in an unexpected turn Freddie, surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen, however Freddie manages to reunite with his bandmates just in time for Live Aid in 1985. While bravely facing a recent AIDS diagnosis, Freddie leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. Queen cements a legacy that continues to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.
Others to round out the cast are Lucy Boynton as Mary Austin, Freddie's girlfriend, Aiden Gillen as John Reid, the band's manager, Allen Leech as Paul Prenter, Tom Hollander as Jim Beach, Mike Myers as Ray Foster, Aaron McCusker as Jim Hutton, Meneka Das as Jer Bulsara, Freddie's sister and Ace Bhatti as Bomi Bulsara, Freddie's brother.
This was delineated brilliantly by director Bryan Singer ("Public Access" '93, "The Usual Suspects" '95, "Apt Pupil" '98, "X-Men" 2000, "X-Men 2" '03, "Superman Returns" '06, "Football Wives" (TV movie) '07, "Valkyrie" '08, "Jack the Giant Slayer" '13, "X-Men: Days of Future Past" '14, "X-Men: Apocalypse" '16) plus TV and a short. As a veteran in directing films, this filmmaker showcases his direction as though its an effortless task. Certainly his resume has given him that ability to use his actors in the best possible way anywhere from staging to a very effective script that punches you in the face. If you like this filmmaker's brand of directing, his "Broadway 4D" is in post production for a 2018 release. It was well written by Anthony McCarten ("Death of a Superhero" '11, "The Theory of Everything" '14, "The Darkest Hour" '17) plus TV, based on a story by McCarten, and Peter Morgan. Even though McCarten doesn't have a lengthy resume, what he has tackled is nothing less than perfect. This starts with Freddie and his band walking out to a packed stadium of fans only to take us back to the year 1970 when Mercury had met the guys of the band. And from there, the script simply pulled off a tight, concise, cohesive storyline that keeps us riveted. Although Malek's performance as Freddie is incredible--he will certainly garner a nomination for best actor, the supporting cast was carefully and brilliantly chosen.
Musical biopics are typically well thought-out, but this is an exception since it was amazingly well written, directed and acted better than most. I see Academy Award nods for several here--for your consideration. As for Malek, he definitely went out on that limb and pulled off an incredible performance--none like he's done. Enjoy this gem!
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG-13 134mins.
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