This Freddie Mercury scratches very little of the drama of a rich life but offers an exquisite musical experience.
Movie: Bohemian Rhapsody
Cast: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aiden Gillen, Allen Leech, Tom Hollander, and Mike Myers.
Director: Bryan Singer
Genre: Biopic
Duration: 2hr 14min
Story:
In 1970, Farrokh Bulsara becomes the frontman of a band that has astrophysicist Brian May on guitar, dentist Roger Taylor on drums, and electrical engineer John Deacon on bass. These misfits come together to make music for the misfits to give them a sense of belonging. Farrokh, finding his place to belong, changes the name to Freddie Mercury and discovers that stage is where he belongs. So to say, Bohemian Rhapsody chronicles the first 15 years of the band up to the mind-boggling Live Aid performance in 1985. But in a deeper sense, it's a smoothened telling of the life of legend called Freddie Mercury.
Review:
Bohemian Rhapsody took the title from the eponymous song that broke convention and became one of the defining moments of Rock and Roll history. Sadly, the movie sticks to the cliched troubled musician trope to tell the story of one of the greatest composers to walk on the face of this earth.
Technically, there is very little to be criticised. Costumes done by Julian Day beautifully encase the muscular energy Rami Malek brings as the Brit singer. From his introduction to gender fluid fashion to gay-leather scene to the now iconic white vest and blue jeans on Live Aid stage, every transformation of Mercury with time is pronounced to show the rise and fall of his personal issues. Gwilym Lee's curls as Brian May are the only constant in this whirlwind story.
Director Bryan Singer was replaced by Dexter Fletcher but you won't find any traces of this transition when you watch the movie. Singer's love for grandiose is shared by Fletcher and it shows when you see the sets built by production designer Aaron Haye. Haye played with opportunity and on one hand gave minimalistic Madison Square Garden stage and on the other a to-scale stage for the Live Aid concert recreation that only adds to the charm of brilliant camera work done by cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel. Sigel's camera loves capturing fluid, electrifying energy of Malek's Mercury. Even in the still moments when Mercury is the sad rich boy personified, the sharp lighting of the scene won't let you forget you are looking at a rockstar. Sigel shines during the 20-minutes set of the greatest live concert performance ever. That energy of Wembley stadium, all those years ago, is recreated to the dot and it guarantees goosebumps for every set of eyes watching the movie.
Rami Malek proved himself to be the perfect fit to play Freddie Mercury. Day's costume, additional overbite transform the actor into that rockstar, but his Mercury comes alive when Malek brings the charged up physicality to the character. Everybody else in the movie is there to just react when Malek is acting. Personally, Allen Leech's Paul Prenter became the object of my hate and Lucy Boynton's Mary Austin had all my sympathy. Austin and Mercury's love story softened dark edges that were left after the sanitization of one of the most intriguing lives. The movie talks about Freddie Mercury's sexuality, it talks about the AIDS diagnosis, but it only scratches the surface of the drama that was the talk of the town when this immigrant boy was on top of his game. The UA version of this fascinating tale never leans into the tension Queen might have suffered as a band when Mercury's arrogance broke up the 'family' he had. Brian May, Roger Taylor, and Queen's lawyer/manager Jim Beach are three of many producers on the film. No wonder very little of unpleasant stuff was unveiled. But the advantage of having these three onboard is that the beautiful songs created by Queen fill in the gaps where drama falls short. Final twenty minutes of the movie will make you forget any and every issue you might have had until then. It lets you live glorious 20 minutes of musical history. All is forgiven after that.
Verdict:
It may be a watered down tale of one of the most 'mercurial' lives lived on earth, but it is also a beautiful tribute to the life lived only for performance.
Critic's ratings: 3.5/5
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 "Bohemian Rhapsody")
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