8.5/10
Bravo! Smash hit!
Rami Malek was an absolutely fantastic Freddie Mercury, and I know that the band gave him complete props for his performance. Admittedly I was a little unsure if Rami would be a good fit for this role considering his previous character was a cloaked, monotone hacker in the dark fantasy of Mr. Robot. Did I think that Sasha Baren Cohen translated better to the role of the flamboyant peacock personality that is the lead singer of Queen? Yea of course, but Rami was absolutely perfect.
This was a fantastic bio-pic and an overall raised glass tribute to the stadium rock band that truly redefined karaoke nights forever. Although I did not grow up around the time that Queen was a billboard top hit, I certainly was spoon fed their hits throughout my life. To know just a granular of Queen’s beginnings and Mercury's demons made it all the more amusing to learn how they rose the charts and settled in our hearts.
There was a perfect blend of stage time as well as internal backstory. Since this film is centered around a chart-climbing rock back, my one concern was that the film would be one big concert montage marathon. Even though there were several concert scenes with just music, I was still asking for more. Even though the average person is nervous to sing in front of people, you kinda want to turn the theater into a sing-along jam.
The transitions between band-mate dialogue, studio time, and then performance on stage was seamless and fun. Although they were lip-syncing and performing with a back-track, their performances were 100% believable. Along with the fellow band mate’s approval, I’m sure that Mercury would have also been pleased with the portrayal.
I’m not going to spoil how this film ended, but if you know anything about Freddie Mercury, you know that he is (sadly) no longer with us. This is a big reason that the film was all the more a meaningful tribute to the man who made us howl with a glass in our hand and lyrics on the screen. Although I was hit with the feels several times during this movie, it was still a fun ride all the way to the end! It’s no surprise that Rami would deliver a phenomenal genuine performance considering his award-winning performances in Mr. Robot. Which by the way, is super underrated besides the fact that it won 2 Golden Globes. Go watch that show, and…
Go see this movie! I’m planning on seeing this for round 2. One of the highlights of the film ((not a spoiler)) was when the record company head, Mike Myers, was listening through Bohemian Rhapsody for the first time. Just think of Wayne’s World, and you’ll be sure to get a big laugh.
///
tl;dr
///
Great Flick: Absolutely!
Date Flick: Perfect date flick I’d say.
Comments